Rex II
by LongLiveTheClones
Summary: Sequel to "Whatever Happened to Captain Rex?" Rex has been MIA for 3 months. Cody is punished for going AWOL to rescue Kenobi. Can they resume their lives in a galaxy where everything is changing and an evil plan threatens to destroy everything and everyone they have sworn to protect? Rated strongly T for steamy romance, strong language, and intense battle scenes.
1. Chapter 1 Battle's End

Revised: January 2, 2015

Rex II

Chapter One

"On three," Kix said, nodding to Travis as they carefully lifted the form of the injured ARC onto the med-stretcher. "Hold his legs steady," he directed Tek. Echo didn't stir as he was moved.

"Let's move," the medic said, heading toward the door.

Travis' HUD blinked signaling an incoming comm. He activated it and read the text transcription even as he glanced up at the image of Commander Cody appearing in the screen. "Fives. Travis. We have a situation."

The HUD view switched to a live feed off Cody's bucket. Travis sucked in a breath sharply at the sight of Rex in the grips of the Kaz'harian leader, jagged knife to his already bleeding throat. Travis glanced over at Fives. Without waiting for further information, Cody and Travis took off at a run for the dungeons winding their way through the crowded corridors. Adrenaline flooded Travis' body and he could only think of making it to Rex in time before his throat was slit, or worse. "Fives," Cody continued. "Get down here. Lieutenant Travis, stay where you are. I need you elsewhere."

For a brief moment, Travis considered disobeying the direct order. Rex needed him. And, he wasn't truly in the GAR anymore. But, the rebellious, angry side of him was gone. He likely had Rex to blame for that fekkin' change.

"Yes, sir," he said, acknowledging the order, even as Fives disappeared out of sight, with one last glance over his shoulder toward him.

"We'll take care of Rex," Cody's voice softened slightly. Knowing he and Rex were also close vode was reassuring to Travis. "I need you to lead a group of rescued troopers to the ships. You know these corridors. We're short on time and the Kazzies are still stalking our heels. A lot of my men are in that group."

Cody was placing a great deal of trust in him.

Travis acknowledged the order and cut the connection.

# # #

Travis glanced over his shoulder at the group of vode assigned to him by Commander Cody. He had been entrusted with the lives of one hundred recently freed prisoners, none of which had armor or blasters. Some of the clones had fashioned makeshift weapons with debris from the battle. He'd been tempted to order the troopers to abandon the crude defenses. He admired the tenacity of his vode, but their simple weapons wouldn't stand a chance against the 100 kilo simians. Travis' body was testament to the danger posed by the enemy. He was battered in more places than he could count from up close encounters with Kazzies. His entire body was wrought with tension as he thought of what could happen to these vode.

He looked back over his shoulder again, checking on the troopers. They kept up with the brisk pace he set with ragged determination, brothers helping others along. They were making good time, and had only two levels to go. They would be fine as long as they didn't run into any trouble.

He rounded the next corner, and ran headlong into a Kazzie patrol.

"Down! Down! Down!"

The clones automatically dropped at his barked command, but he'd lost precious seconds. Burning heat singed over his shoulders as blaster fire came close enough to char his armor, but not score a direct hit. He blinked, and switched his HUD over to night vision to compensate for the poor light of the tunnels. He couldn't tell how many simians were taking cover around the corner, but it was clear they were using a combination of slugthrowers and blasters. He heaved out a grunt of annoyance. It was fekkin' hard to defend against mixed weapons' fire. Slugs behaved completely differently from blaster shots.

Travis steadied his rifle and returned fire, focusing on the small vulnerable portion in the simians' necks. He took out one target before being forced into a rolling dive under a return hail of mixed blaster and slugthrower fire.

Fek. This is no good. We're pinned down.

Travis tried to dive backwards into the shelter of the wall as another wave of fire came at him, but the cover was inadequate. A blastershot caught his rifle wrenching it painfully out of his already injured wrist. He cried out as tissues abused in the struggle with the simian hours earlier tore further.

He dropped down to his belly and awkwardly scooped up the rifle one-handed. But, he knew the odds of being able to accurately take out the entire patrol with one hand were not good.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder, startling him. He wondered how long the trooper had been speaking to him trying to get his attention. Travis pointed to the ear of his helmet. The universal signal for "comm system problems." It was easier than explaining he was deaf. The trooper started over again, speaking slowly, and repeating what he'd said from the beginning. "Lieutenant. You're injured. Let me help." The scarred trooper extended a hand out, reaching for the rifle.

Travis studied him a moment, and quickly decided there was something in the trooper's steely gaze he liked. He immediately handed over the rifle.

"Chopper, sir," the trooper said succinctly, as then he pulled the weapon to his shoulder. He took cover next to Travis in the scant protection of the wall. With a rapid-fire accuracy rivaling that of the Galactic Marines, Chopper started blasting away at the patrol. His shots were so fast that the simians had no time to return fire. However, the Kazzies were in a better position of cover around the corner. They were locked in a complete stalemate.

Travis pulled his blaster off his belt, using his second weapon and fired one-handed. He wanted to call for back-up, but knew there was no one. Every available trooper was already running evac duty or was fighting in the dungeons. He couldn't afford to distract Commander Cody, he already had his hands full with the 'Rex situation.'

The Marine glanced down at his belt. When they'd been pinned down outside the morgue, they'd set the Fire Kazzies on fire.

As far as he could tell, there were no flame-throwing simians here. But, maybe he could bring the fire to them. Travis yanked his last spare ammo clip off his belt, hefting it in his hand and looking toward the simians. The timing would need to be perfect. He looked over at Chopper, prepared to explain.

The 501st trooper glanced at him and grinned, the scars pulling on his gaunt face. "Whenever you're ready, Lieutenant."

Travis nodded and leaned back to arc the ammo pack down the corridor. It was nearly invisible in the dim light as it flew down the darkened corridor.

Chopper's face was completely calm as he focused on his shot. The two troopers immediately threw themselves down to the ground as a wave of fire chased over their heads. If he had hearing, Travis was sure the echoing sound in the hallway would have been tremendous.

Ow.

Travis sighed, and wondered how many times he'd been thrown into the ground since arriving on Darkknell. His burgundy armor was a mess of black scorching with deep gouges and scratches. His undersuit was stuck to him with sweat, blood and the heat from the explosion. He wasn't sure where the suit ended and he began anymore. He looked up and dimly realized Chopper was speaking to him.

"Are you alright, Lieutenant?"

Travis nodded slowly, allowing Chopper to pull him to his feet.

In actuality, he was far from OK. He hurt everywhere and if he allowed his eyes to close for more than a second, he was in danger of falling asleep on his feet. But, the men behind him were likely in far worse shape after their long imprisonment and he hadn't heard a word of complaint. He straightened up, looking back to check on the rest of the troopers. They were all struggling to their feet, helping each other up, and none had been hit by blaster fire. He sighed in relief. He'd promised Cody he would watch out for these men.

He gestured to Chopper, and together they cautiously moved around the corner to check for survivors.

Strange. The "Kazzie Patrol" was only two Kaz'harians. Strange. In the panic and in the darkness, he was sure they were under attack by a much larger force.

The comm unit on both of the Kaz'harians blazed to life with rapidly barked orders. Even though it was in another language, there was no mistaking the urgency of the orders coming through.

Knowing some Kaz'harian would be very useful right about now.

As he was turning to head back to his troops, his comm unit activated.

"All units; cease fire. Repeat. Cease fire immediately. Kaz'harians are departing. RV at main evac points."

He blinked, trying to process the new orders.

Cease fire?

Travis stared down at the dead Kaz'harians. One had thrown himself on top of the other in an attempt to protect his fellow warrior from the blast. Just like Lance had done for him hours earlier, saving his life.

If only for a difference of a few seconds, they wouldn't have needed to kill each other.

Both Kaz'harians had died with their eyes open, and they were staring directly at him.

Travis reached down to close their eyes.

Chopper tapped him on the shoulder, startling him. He glanced down at the dead troopers, seemingly far less concerned with the death of the simians than Travis. "Sir, we should go."

Travis nodded, and hurried back to his position at the head of the line. He gestured to Chopper to join him by his side.

# # #

Keen awoke to a world of darkness and motion. He struggled to open his eyes.

Fek. Why couldn't he open his eyes?

"Gears! Watch the corners!"

"Watching them," grumbled a clone voice, so low Keen could barely hear him. "They're a blurry blob, like everything else."

Keen tried to sit up, but his body was restrained by a tight strap. He panicked and tried to get free.

"Hey, rest easy, vod. We're taking you to the medship."

He opened his mouth to protest and demand answers. But his lungs burned and his throat felt blistered and that simple action sent him into a coughing fit that plunged him into darkness again.

# # #

"Coric, there's no time for this," Rex grumbled, trying to push the medic's hands away. "It looks worse than it is. I'm alright."

"He tried to tell us the same thing," Fives said. "I put syntheflesh on it and covered it with a spray bandage. It stopped the bleeding."

Coric leaned in and inspected Fives' handiwork. "You did good. This will hold until we get back to the ship." His brows furrowed worriedly and his voice dropped low. "You are coming back with us, aren't you Captain?"

Rex put a reassuring hand on Coric's arm, as he slid his helmet back on and straightened his shoulders. "Yes. We're all going home together." His eyes swept over toward the retreating back of Captain Ko, leading troops away. He looked back at Coric, frowning as he was running a scanner over Rex. "Are we done here?" He checked his chrono. "18:33. We're barely going to clear atmo at this rate."

Coric nodded, and tucked his scanner away. But, the expression on his face showed he wasn't pleased with the readings. Rex ignored the look.

"Move out," Rex ordered, leading the way back to the ships.

# # #

Echo groaned and shifted, trying to ease the relentless ache in his shoulder.

"Easy, Echo."

"Kix?"

Fek. His voice didn't sound like him at all.

"Yes, it's me, vod. We'll have you in a medsuite soon," Kix's voice was rushed and tense.

The fekkin' blade felt like it was cleaving him in half. He tried to focus on Kix's slightly blurred form in front of him, guiding the medstretcher. He felt weak and wanted desperately to sleep, to pass back into unconsciousness again. But, somehow he knew if he gave in to the urge he wouldn't wake up this time. Mentally, Echo nodded to himself; he'd make it to the medsuite and Kix would take care of the problem like he had countless times before for the troopers of the 501st. In the meantime, Echo retreated to the manuals, going over regulations in his head, taking comfort in the dependability of the GAR.

# # #

"Catcher, status of the Separatist fleet?" Rex asked over the comm, trying to pace his breathing. He pushed air out through his nose as he barreled through the corridors.

"Holding steady. 9:47 Mark," Catcher reported.

Rex grunted in satisfaction, pleased with the ARC Captain's crisp efficiency. He would do well watching over the Legion on Ando.

They caught up to the last group of evacuees heading out to the ships. The hallway was crowded with clones.

"Move it troopers!" Rex yelled, his patience running thin and his endurance running low. Coric had been right. He was exhausted. But, he'd never admit it to the medic. He wasn't just tired. He was hungry. And, he ached much more than he'd let on. But, he would rest later, once they were all home.

Coric had gone on ahead to see the injured member of Leon's squad. Ahsoka was easily keeping pace beside him.

They arrived at the entrance of the hangars and he bellowed at the troopers again for good measure. He chased them all the way to the ramp of the Corrie-bound ship making dire threats about horrendous cleaning details if they didn't move faster. He halted at the base of the ramp in satisfaction and looked around. The hangar was almost clear.

"Catcher, evac status?" Rex asked.

"All evac teams have boarded, Captain, except for Mako who is doing a medical consult and Lieutenant Travis who seems to be intentionally ignoring my hails."

"Acknowledged," Rex looked around in puzzlement, wondering what trouble the Marine had gotten himself into this time.

"Rex!"

"Found him," Rex told Catcher. "I'll shove his shebs up a ramp." He disconnected from Catcher, and turned his attention to the Marine, grunting in pain as his injured chest was squeezed. "Fek! Travis! Get off!"

"Thought you'd left without a good-bye, di'kut," Travis grumbled, smacking Rex hard enough in the pauldron to send him stumbling backwards.

The five oh first captain grunted, and reached up to rub at his aching shoulder. Then, he groaned again as just the act of raising up his arm made him hurt worse. He gave up on moving at all. "Travis, fek, quit it!" He resorted to his tried and true methods with the vod he knew better than any other. He smacked the Marine hard in the back of the helmet. The sound reverberated in the hangar.

Travis' burst of filtered laughter echoed out through the helmet.

Ahsoka shook her head, riveted by the exchange.

Rex suddenly seemed to remember the Jedi padawan was present. "Ahsoka, this is my second-in-command, Travis," Rex said, making a hasty introduction, before turning his full attention back to the Marine.

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa," Travis said, turning to Ahsoka. He tugged off his filthy helmet and clipped it to his belt. He pulled off his equally dirty gloves, grimacing slightly as one hand came free, and shoved them on his belt. He peered at his hands to make sure they were at least somewhat clean. He first bowed deeply, then extended a hand. "Ma'am."

Ahsoka raised up an eyebrow, looked at Rex, and took the extended hand to shake it. Travis adjusted her hand slightly and lifted it up to his lips. He gave the Jedi a slow, lingering kiss on the back of her fingers.

Rex glared. His second had obviously learned way too much during his time on Ando. "Travis," he hissed.

The Marine took his time pulling his lips away. "Just wanted to see what all this fuss was about. We did storm a planet for this Jedi."

Rex turned red and started coughing.

Travis burst out laughing.

Ahsoka smiled, and made no effort to pull her hand from Travis' grasp. "How do you know Rex?" she asked politely.

"We trained together on Kamino," the Marine said, "I could tell you stories. Many stories."

Rex flushed. "No stories."

"Captain," Catcher's voice cut in from Rex's gauntlet, "8:05. Mark. Coric has finished his medical consult and is on his way to your position."

"Acknowledged," Rex said. He took a deep breath, and turned his attention back to Travis. His brother still looked amused and pleased with himself. At the serious look on Rex's face, the Marine dropped Ahsoka's hand and stood up straight. "Travis, we need to talk-"

"You're giving the Legion to Catcher," Travis said without preamble. Rex opened his mouth to explain further. The Marine put up a hand to forestall him. "You don't need to say anything. It's the right thing to do."

Rex reached forward and grasped Travis' arm in the traditional Mando'a handshake. Travis wrestled his arm free and grabbed Rex in a bone-crushing hug.

Rex hesitated a moment, and then returned the gesture, ignoring all the places he hurt. "Good luck, vod," Rex said, his voice suspiciously hoarse.

"You too, vod," Travis said.

Too much was left unsaid, but they were out of time.

"Now let me the fek go, that hurts," Rex ordered, but there was a teasing edge to his voice under his weariness and pain. Travis released him. "As soon as we clear atmo, light this place up," he said gruffly as Coric ran up to them.

The Marine nodded, patting a series of det timers on his belt. Rex's gaze swept the hangars, doing one last check. Empty except for the four of them.

"Now, go," Rex said.

Travis straightened and saluted Rex. Not a mocking salute. But, a full-on respectful salute of one officer to another. Rex straightened up and immediately returned the gesture, ignoring his body's complaints once again. Travis nodded, as if the past had finally been settled between them and took off for his ship.

"Captain. 8:00 Mark," Catcher said.

"Coric is here. On our way," Rex acknowledged as they took off at a run for their designated evac ships. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw one last view of the back of Travis, disappearing up the ramp on a ship bound for Ando.

His brother was headed back to a completely different life.

And, Rex was headed back to Coruscant.

This was it.

This was where it all changed.

As the five oh first members bolted up the ramp, the pistons brought the hatch to a close.

The hatch closed silently, but as he was sealed into the ship Rex had an urge to demand the hatch be lowered again. He could still maybe make it to one of the other ships. He could say he changed his mind. Still maybe go back to Ando...

No.

He pushed the thoughts away.

He was just tired. He'd made his decision. No second thoughts.

Ando was behind him.

He glanced around trying to get his bearings on the unfamiliar ship. The ship tilted as it climbed atmo, and Rex's tired muscles couldn't compensate fast enough. He braced a hand against the wall as he struggled to stand, and keep his feet.

Coric caught him under one arm. "Medbay."

Rex shook his head. "Bridge."

Coric sighed, knowing better than to argue with Rex in a crisis situation. "Fine. I'm staying with you."

Rex wanted to order Coric to medbay, but there was no time and inwardly he was pleased with Coric's loyalty. Fek, it was good to see Coric again. A warmth spread through him at the thought of seeing all of his men from the 501st again.

"How do I get to the bridge?" Rex said, addressing the trooper who'd closed the ramp.

The trooper was staring at Rex with wide eyes as if meeting a holostar for the first time.

"Trooper!" Rex used the voice he did with errant shinies.

"Sir!" the trooper snapped to attention. "Sorry, sir, but you're Captain Rex!"

"Top, sir, 212th," he saluted again. "An honor to meet the hero of the dungeons!"

Rex frowned again at the title. "I'm not-" He blew out an impatient sigh. There was no time to argue. "The bridge. How do I get to the bridge?"

"I'll take you there, sir!" Top took off at a run through the corridors.

Rex struggled to keep up. He caught Coric casting him a worried look several times. The Kaz'harian ship followed the same basic ship as a Jedi cruiser, but everything seemed larger and elongated. The corridors seemed endless.

Finally, they arrived at their destination. Rex could see blackness wavering in front of his eyes, but he forced it away, as he tried to steady his breathing after the long run.

"You, OK?" Coric asked, quietly by his side.

Rex nodded.

"Liar," Coric muttered under his breath, but he let it go, and didn't pull his medscanner out in the midst of the busy bridge. Rex was grateful. The bridge was a mixture of order and chaos as clones struggled to make sense of the Kaz'harian controls. Cody was a calm in the middle of the storm, issuing commands and answering questions. At the helm, Hawk was struggling to reach controls that were too high and not designed for human-sized hands.

"Status," Cody said.

"Maintaining course and speed," Hawk immediately reported. His hands moved over the controls. "Coordinates set for Coruscant… I think. Making calculations for the jump to lightspeed."

"You think?" Cody asked.

"Everything's in Kaz'harian, sir," Hawk said. "The numbers are the same, but the lettering is so vastly different from Aurebesh, I'm not entirely sure what I entered." The pilot gave an apologetic shrug.

Rex walked over and stood by Cody's side.

"Call Captain Leon," Rex suggested.

Cody's lips quirked. "Always appreciate you telling me how to do my job, Rex. He's already on his way." His gaze swept Rex. "Good to see you in more or less one piece." He gave Coric a meaningful look, and the medic nodded.

"Three minutes and closing," Catcher announced.

Rex took a position by Cody's side, ignoring the good-natured teasing about telling his friend how to do his job.

"Have we been detected?" Cody asked.

"No, sir," Broadside said, from the secondary engineering station.

Catcher spoke something off-screen to his crew. He spoke back to Cody. "We aren't seeing any signs of detection on our end either."

"Captain Leon, reporting as ordered," the commando said, hurrying off the turbo lift. The commando's features were pale and wan, his shoulders slumped with grief and loss. The fourth member of his team, Ice, had been gravely injured on the planet.

Rex briefly wondered what happened to him.

Judging by the look on Leon's face, his squadmate was lost. Rex had there too many times. He'd try to make time to talk to Leon later.

Cody waved the commando on through, and brusquely said: "Weapons control, first and then helm."

Leon nodded and immediately set to work.

The viewscreen split into three views, one showing their position on the map heading away from Darkknell toward the edges of the Darkknellian galaxy. The second view showed the incoming Separatist fleet heading toward the planet and the third was a live feed with Catcher.

"Put the fleet behind that planet," Cody said, pointing to the enormous gas giant they were approaching.

"Yes, sir," Catcher said, deferring to Cody's authority, "relaying orders to all ships."

"Hold position here," Cody said.

"1:20 Mark." Catcher announced.

Everyone waited and just watched the map and the viewscreen for the next 120 seconds. No one spoke. The Separatist fleet appeared, and it was enormous. Ship after ship filled the screen.

Rex dispelled a long breath. If they'd still been planetside, they would have found themselves up against tens of thousands of battle droids. But, these same ships were also equipped hundreds of vulture droids, and they were in no position for a prolonged space battle.

"60 seconds, mark." Catcher said up on the screen.

The viewscreen split into four views, revealing Travis in the cockpit of the medship holding multiple det controllers. "Captain, Commander, Captain," the Marine said, and somehow managed to be both cocky and respectful at the same time.

"The main section of the Separatist fleet has touched down on Darkknell," Catcher announced, "except for the two dreadnaughts."

"Circle our ships around," Cody said. "Attack formation Alpha. Lieutenant Travis, get ready."

"I hope you've figured out those weapons' systems, Captain," Cody said, nodding to Leon.

"Working on it, sir," the commando said hurriedly, and then turned his attention back to Contrail, the newly appointed weapons officer. The commando was rapidly pointing out various aspects of the controls, and referencing back to his datapad.

"You two have about fifteen seconds to figure it all out," the 212th commander said.

"No pressure," Leon grumbled, and immediately resumed working.

Rex chuckled under his breath. He wanted to offer to help, but all that he'd picked up about the Kaz'harian language were a few expletives. He wasn't sure those were on the weapons' controls.

He watched tensely as they came around the backside of the gas giant and snuck up on the two giant Seppie supply ships.

"All ships. Prepare to fire on my signal," Cody said, "Fire! Now. Lieutenant Travis."

The two ships in front of them disappeared into a sudden fireball after the unexpected attack by ships previously thought of their allies. Simultaneously, down below on the planet, the rest of the fleet, disappeared along with the Kaz'harian fortress.

It was an explosion so massive it could be seen from the space. They watched it in silence. The troopers who had been imprisoned on Darkknell watched the destruction of their prison with a grim set to their faces.

Cody nodded with satisfaction. Rex heaved a weary sigh of relief.

"Captain Catcher, Lieutenant Travis, we're going to cut off comms now. We'll need to maintain comm silence between us from here on out, for your protection, as discussed earlier," Cody said.

"Agreed," Catcher's chin dipped slightly in curt acknowledgement.

"Acknowledged," said Travis.

And, the connection was cut.

Rex was cut off the Andoan Legion.

"Resume course for Coruscant," Cody ordered.

"Yes, sir," Hawk said.

Rex blinked, trying to focus.

It's OK. As long as I keep moving, I'll be fine.

He stepped forward, intending to ask Leon the status of the translations. But, he never made it. Darkness swarmed the edge of his vision. Cody gripped his arm to keep him from hitting the deck plating.

"Get him to medbay," Cody said, holding Rex up.

Ahsoka and Coric came forward.

Cody nodded to Waxer who was on the bridge, but currently unassigned to a post. "Waxer, make sure the Captain gets there."

"Coric," Cody said. "Make sure the Captain stays there."

"Understood," Coric said.

Rex was too tired to argue, and at the moment medbay sounded almost appealing. If nothing else, it was a place to lie down and sleep. He could sleep on the deck plating of the bridge he was so tired.

He managed to keep his feet under him for most of the way to the medbay, but Waxer and Coric supported most of his weight.

# # #

Medbay was a mess.

Coric took one step inside and decided things were going to change immediately. The enormous room was a chaos of activity, much like the bridge, but there had been order under Commander Cody. This was no way to run a medbay. Coric squared his shoulders.

# # #

Rex was feeling admittedly worse by the time they stepped into medbay. He was pulled into the medbay by Waxer and Coric. His jaw dropped as he stared at the haphazard organization within. Troopers were running back and forth yelling for supplies, trying to tend to injured vode lying on oversized bunks. He glanced over at the stony expression on Coric's face.

He pulled free of the grasp of the other men holding him up. "I've got this," he murmured, and then shouted over the chaos, calling the troopers to attention. He used the voice he did to whip shinies into shape. The effect was immediate. Every eye in the room, even the wounded, immediately turned to the door. With an efficiency that would've passed even the strictest inspection, the men in the room snapped to attention. Even the wounded struggled to pull themselves up at his sudden appearance. "At ease," he said, not wanting the injured to contort themselves any further.

Excited whispers about "the hero of the dungeons" flew about the room.

Rex frowned again.

"Sergeant-medic Coric is in charge." He turned to Coric. "They're all yours."

"I'll be back for you in a moment," Coric said. He stepped further into the medbay and immediately took charge. "Triage," he snapped at two of Cody's medics Rex recognized from the 212th, but couldn't recall their names in his exhausted state. "Inventory." He immediately began reassigning troopers and increasing the efficiency of the medbay.

"You should lean on me, Rex. You're exhausted," Ahsoka coaxed, soothing.

Rex nodded, and slipped an arm over the padawan's shoulders. He felt a sense of familiar calm as he came into contact with her skin again, but also a strong sense of guilt for taking so much pleasure in touching her. Being near her was such a comfort to him in his battered state. He would hold on to her for just a short while.

But, his body had other plans. Blackness swam in front of his vision again and he couldn't keep his legs under him.

"Rex?" Ahsoka asked, struggling to hold him up.

"Just a little dizzy," Rex muttered.

"Coric!" Ahsoka shouted.

Rex winced. He didn't think the Jedi padawan could shout that loud. She was starting to sound like him.

Coric suddenly appeared.

"Put him over here."

He was moved onto a bunk. Fek. Ow! Not a bunk. A friggin' rock slab. What did the Kazzies sleep on anyway?

All the movement brought on a new set of problems. The dizziness transformed to nausea. A tray was thrust under his chin. Leave it to Coric to be in a medbay for five minutes and already have supplies organized. Rex lost what little was in his stomach. He nodded when he was done.

"When was the last time you ate?" Coric was pressing him back into the bunk and shining something into his eyes.

"Coric," Rex grumbled, swatting at the light.

"Rex," the medic repeated sternly, "how long has it been since you've eaten?"

"Eh," Rex muttered blankly. He had no idea.

"Have you been hydrating?" the medic asked, running a scanner over him.

"Yes," he ground out, annoyed. He wasn't a shinie. He knew better than to allow himself to dehydrate during battle.

"Trying to figure out why you're vomiting," Coric muttered, more to himself as he stroked his grizzled chin thoughtfully. "You hit your head?"

Rex snorted. "No."

"Something amusing you?" the medic asked, fussing with something Rex couldn't see. He suspected Coric was only making small-talk with him to distract him, but he decided to answer the question anyway.

He hissed as the medic probed at his the chest wound. The medic moved on to his ribs, pushing and watching for reactions. "Ow! Fek, Coric," Rex grumbled as Coric probed his ribs.

"You've got fractures here… and here."Ribs are broken."

The medic continued his examination, peeling back the bacta bandages off his neck. He also removed his knee brace and leg armor. At the end of his exam, he folded his arms across his chest. "You're going in bacta."

Rex opened his mouth to object. He had too much to do. He had an entire Legion to manage on a ship of unfamiliar design-

"Commander Cody ordered you to medbay," the medic pointed out. "I'm ordering you into bacta. You're outranked. We'll take care of things while you're in the tank."

"How many tanks does the ship have?" Rex tried one final tact. "Surely there are others who have greater need-"

The medic shook his head. "There are enough. Rex, you need to be in bacta."

Rex shook his head again. This was more than simple stubbornness on his part. The fate of the Andoan Legion was at stake, and he and Cody had to get their stories straight. "How long? Coric, I need to debrief the men and meet with Cody-"

"Less than a day, Rex. You'll have time to get all of that done before we hit Coruscant."

The weary captain finally nodded, and never saw the hypo Coric deftly slid behind him to knock him out.

# # #

A/N: Welcome to Rex II! Thank you for your patience as the team and I worked out all the planning details on getting "Rex II" and "Ando" launched. Rex II encompass Rex's side of the story. Ando tells the story from the POV of Catcher, Travis and the Andoan Legion. The two timelines run simultaneously and the stories will collide and merge back together again in "Rex III."

Character Guide for Rex II

The character guide for this story is simpler than the one for "Ando" since there are many more canon characters. Back in Rex I, we started a tradition whereby the TV show ("Clone Wars") would ruthlessly kill of a clone, (i.e. Denal, Waxer, etc.) This clone would then become part of the story and live happily on. Long live the clones. So, many of those canon characters are in the story for your enjoyment.

Here is a guide to a few other characters that may pop up in the 501st and 212th Legions that are non-canon.

501st Combat Engineering Team: (The 501st Legion does actually have a combat engineering team according to canon, but they are not named.) In Rex I, the members of the team are Winder Zinc Tucker and Jamie.

Captain Ko- In the show, we never meet any of Cody's direct reports (officers) and obviously he can't run an entire Legion by himself. He would have a number of Captains. In the dungeons, we meet Captain Ko of the 212th Legion.


	2. Chapter 2 Let Her Go

_Revised: January 3, 2015. Spent several hours rewriting this chapter today and had great fun doing so. It is a much stronger chapter with a great deal more delicious angst between Cody and Barriss and the introduction of a new minor OC, a clone medic, (only because I thought it was irresponsible of Barriss to wander off and leave her unconscious Master alone.)_

**Rex II**

**Chapter Two**

Being in bacta is a strange thing.

Rex was never able to stay asleep for long in the tank. He had too much pent-up energy. He was only ever unconscious until the sedatives wore off. He awoke after several hours, disoriented, groggy and floating in the tank. He flexed his limbs carefully, and glanced around. The harness, designed to hold Kaz'harians, had been jury-rigged to accommodate him. He didn't want to push his luck and was careful not to pull against the bindings. He already felt better, although he could tell he was not healed. When he breathed too deeply, he could feel where the Kazzie had cracked his ribs. His chest tingled as burned tissues forcibly regenerated. It was a nauseating sensation to feel bacta push his body in ways that were not natural. He'd lived his life at twice the pace of normal. As a clone trooper, he accepted death, too, would come at an early age.

As they sped through hyperspace toward the vast city planet, he thought about the slow pace of life on Ando. He was trading one extreme of life for another. The chill of the tank and tang of bacta in his nostrils reminded him of the chill winds and brine smell of the vast Andoan sea. He thought he'd never get used to the cold creeping into his armor during early morning training, but now found himself craving the sight of snow gently dusting across Fisherman's Field. As the bacta was now forcibly changing his body, Rex knew he was a different man from the one who had left Coruscant three months ago.

He forcibly redirected his thoughts, intentionally breathing deeply and bringing up a flare of pain from his ribs. He used the burst of adrenaline to sharpen his mind and started mentally writing debriefings for the 501st. He finished and glanced at the chrono on the wall across the medbay. Fek. Still another quarter rotation left in the tank. He watched the chrono, willing it to move faster. The Kazzies had their own alphabet, which only Leon could decipher, but thankfully they used Galactic Standard Numerics. It meant Rex could be precisely bored down to the millisecond.

He started working on Cody's briefings for the 212th. Their messaging would have to be precisely synchronized. There could never be any mention of the troopers who helped free the two Legions. Preparing briefings came easily to Rex. He started working through a mission report for General Skywalker. Then, for good measure, he drafted a report for Cody to give to General Kenobi. Rex had done it in the past when they'd worked joint missions. As one of the highest ranking officers in the GAR, Cody had a great of added responsibilities and flimsiwork. He was always appreciative when Rex offered to help shoulder the load.

Another glance at the chrono. Shab.

Maybe he could signal Kix or Coric and convince them to let him out early. Like that had ever worked in the past.

Rex decided to run through his cover story for the GAR. He'd been thinking it through for a long time, ever since he started planning the mission to Darkknell. It was interspersed with multiple factual elements, lending veracity, leaving out crucial details which betrayed the Andoan Legion.

He ran the story through his mind time and again until he started to believe it himself.

The medical transport to Kamino was attacked by pirates. With no defensive capabilities, the ship took massive hull damage and crashed on a nearby desolate planet. Rex was one of a few clones who survived the crash with major injuries. The extreme cold of the planet quickly took its toll on the already battle injured and weakened clones. Rex woke up on a salvage vessel many days later and was told he was the only survivor found. The salvage ship was already headed to the far reaches of the Outer Rim. They agreed to drop him off at a Republic outpost, but could not do so until their return voyage. Once he was sufficiently recovered, he was added as a member of the salvage crew. Almost three months later, he was dropped off on a planet on the furthest edges of Republic held space. He saw an HNN feed about the missing Legions. He also heard a rumor about captive clones on Darkknell. He used his wages from the salvage crew to secure passage to the planet where he happened upon Commander Cody and his assault team. With the aid of General Unduli, Captain Leon and his RC squad, and Commander Offee, they were able to locate and free the captive clones. Their efforts were aided by the Kaz'harians themselves who had an internal political coup and rebelled against the current leader of the base.

Granted, it was a _slightly_ altered version of reality. But, he would do what was needed to protect the Andoan Legion.

Official reports he could handle. He'd spent a lifetime trained in the ways of the military. It was all he knew.

But, then there was… Ahsoka.

Nothing he'd ever trained for equipped him to handle a relationship. Everything was so complicated right now. He'd do anything to protect her from him and what he had to do. She didn't need to be caught up in all of this mess. Everytime he was near the Jedi padawan he wanted to be closer to her. He had to fight against the urge to touch her. It was growing increasingly difficult.

On Ando, he'd seen his brothers happy, truly happy, for the first time in their lives. And, he knew exactly why.

Travis. Dart. Catcher. Hok.

He'd seen all of them with their women. Rex knew what he wanted. He'd seen what a relationship between a man and a woman could be. But, his circumstances were different. He wasn't on Ando. He could never have such a relationship with the woman he l-

Rex saw the doors to the medbay open, and his breath caught in his throat.

Ahsoka.

Kix greeted the padawan, and as one, they looked over to his tank. He snapped his eyes shut and slumped in his harness. He heard muffled voices outside his tank. He struggled to hear what they were saying, but could not discern words through the thick viscous liquid, the bubbling of the tank and the mechanical sound of his breather. The conversation stopped a minute later.

_'Rex.'_

Ahsoka's presence brushed up against his mind. He ignored it, refusing to acknowledge he was conscious.

_'Rex.'_ The brush was stronger.

He closed off his mind, blocking Ahsoka out.

She stayed outside of his tank for hours, patiently meditating and keeping him company. He could feel the moment she left. His eyes popped open, and he watched her leave. He blew out a long sigh, feeling the bubbles tickle against his face.

Coric was watching him from across the medbay. He looked toward where Ahsoka had retreated and back toward Rex.

Rex was treading on dangerous ground. Coric always figured _everything_ out.

He had to end whatever feelings he harbored for Ahsoka.

# # #

Barriss quietly knelt down next to the unmoving form of her Master. The medics had successfully taken the pressure off her cerebrum and the Jedi Master had settled into a deep healing trance. But, she was not likely to wake up before they returned to Coruscant. She would be transferred to the Jedi Temple and continue healing there. The clone troopers had moved her Master out of medbay and into a spacious room with Barriss.

She tucked her legs underneath her and attempted to relax into meditation. She was restless. She was dressed once again in her familiar Jedi garments. Ahsoka had returned her clothing, and was now wearing the same makeshift clothing as the rest of the newly freed prisoners. The only ones on the ship still in traditional Republic attire were Barriss, Rex, Leon's squad and the rest of the assault team from Ord Cestus.

Barriss focused on her breathing and tried to find comfort in the soothing patterns of meditation. Her Master was nearby. They were free and headed home, but her mind refused to be quiet. She could not find her calm center. She finally gave up, rubbing vigorously at stiff muscles.

She checked on her Master again. The Jedi Master looked different without her head garment. Less severe. Barriss bathed her face gently, cleaned the wound, and then carefully braided her Master's dark hair. Unduli was less imposing and more like an ordinary woman. Barriss watched her Master sleep.

_She always seemed larger than life before. But, she is not that different than me, after all._

After many hours, Barriss fell asleep by her Master's side. When she awoke, her Master's condition was still unchanged.

A day later, her condition was still unchanged.

Barriss knew she had to get out of the room.

Even her Jedi patience was wearing thin.

She called in one of the clone medics to sit with her Master and left to take a break.

"Take your time, commander," the clone medic, Kale, a painfully thin but kindly clone who had obviously done his best to modify the oversized Kazzie clothing. But, nonetheless still looked like an Ewok wearing Wookie's clothing. When Barriss returned from her walk, she was tempted to offer to hem the clothes further. "It's good to get out of medbay." He gestured around Barriss' quarters, "and it's much quieter here than in my barracks. Everyone is so happy to be out of the prison that they are treating it like one big party."

Barriss smiled and shook her head at the resilience of the clones.

She began to explore the hallways of the large ship. In a corner lounge, she spied an orange and white armored figure slumbering awkwardly in an oversized chair. From the way his limbs were arranged askance, it looked as if he'd stopped to rest and dropped asleep from exhaustion.

_Cody?_

She brushed out gently toward the figure with the Force, but did not feel the lick of fiery orange which always surrounded the 212th commander. She was about to move on when the clone's eyes snapped open and focused on her. It was unsettling the way all the clones could instantly snap from sleep to full alertness. She wondered how the Kaminoans had managed to program _that_ into their genome.

"Commander."

"Trapper," she greeted the trooper she knew was one of Cody's closest friends. They stared at each other for a beat.

The clone cocked his head to the side. "Something I can do for you, Commander Offee?" Despite the exhaustion evident on his face, his eyes were alert. His armor was clean, but also heavily scored with recent signs of battle damage.

"How are you?" Barriss rushed out.

Trapper's lips quirked up into a smile, and the gesture immediately and painfully reminded her of Cody. It was a flirtatious move that was unintentionally sexy and she felt her stomach tighten. He studied her for a moment before he answered. "I'm tired. Sha-" He caught himself and corrected his rough trooper language, and started again. "Very tired." He pursed his lips, and studied her thoughtfully. Barriss couldn't help but smile at him. There was something about this clone that was very appealing. "Mmmm… but I don't think you are wandering the halls looking for clones so you can ask them about their fatigue levels?" His warm brown eyes regarded her with amusement.

Barriss laughed with mock offense at his implied insult, enjoying the conversation. "I am a healer. I'm concerned with everyone's welfare."

Trapper's eyes sparkled. "Of course. And, we are grateful for the exceptional attention you've given to the welfare of the commander." There was no malice or implication in his tone. He made the statement with a completely straight face.

Barriss flushed. Trapper's smile grew wider. He enjoyed making her blush. He was a natural with women, whether he realized his effect or not.

She cleared her throat, trying to maintain her composure. "Do you know where he is?"

Trapper straightened up in his chair. His battered helmet rested comfortably on top of one knee. He drummed his fingers against the top as he considered his response. "Hmmm... I believe I do." He took his time answering, before responding, obviously enjoying the conversation as much as Barriss. "He finished his shift and headed to his quarters."

Barriss nodded her thanks, and then turned away. Then, she realized she had no idea where Cody's quarters might be.

"The clone officer's wing." Trapper supplied helpfully.

Barriss nodded.

"Commander," Trapper's voice startled her. The clone had risen up and was standing beside her. "I can escort you there," his voice was polite and respectful, but held a hint of eagerness.

"Yes, that would be appreciated."

"Excellent," the 212th trooper said enthusiastically, clipping his helmet to his belt. "I was scheduled to bring food to the commander at 0600. Do you mind if we stop by the mess?"

"Not at all. I'd like to see more of the ship." Troopers had also been delivering meals to her since her arrival. She suspected Cody had seen to this small detail. Each time food arrived, she wondered if he'd been taking the time to eat. Although, she did realize she spent _entirely_ too much time thinking about Cody.

They walked along in companionable silence. She focused on memorizing the corridors, as she'd done when she'd memorized all of the junctions in the Geonosis hive. All of the corridors of the Kaz'harian ship were pale green and each one blended into the next. But, it was not any more challenging than the hive. She relaxed as she went along, easily able to keep a tally of her surroundings.

"How you do find your way in these corridors? None of them are marked." Barriss had spent years training at the Temple in focus and memorization techniques.

"I'm an advanced recon force trooper. Like a scout, I naturally remember routes and maps."

Barriss looked thoughtful. "Can all clones do the same?"

Trapper laughed. "Ah… no. That's why the Army needs scouts." His laughter rang through the hallway, and she was enveloped in the richness of the sound. She felt warm inside and out for the first time since returning from Darkknell. "We've had to track down plenty of lost clones. We've found troopers in the oddest places. Did you know that in addition to the mess, the Kazzies had a formal dining hall? Found three of our gunners in there." He laughed, but then looked at her, and his voice changed and soften slightly. "Can you imagine the Kazzies dining formal?"

She studied him as they walked along and realized he _had_ thought about it. "They must have had a remarkable culture," Barriss ventured carefully.

Trapper nodded. "They likely still do. That last scientist fellow we dealt with down there wasn't so bad." He shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe we might even end up working with them one day. Stranger alliances have happened."

The Jedi commander was silent for several minutes as they walked along, absorbing Trapper's words. Once again, she was astounded by the intellect of the clones. These troopers who were bred and disposed of as expendable soldiers proved time and time again they had a remarkable ability to come up with remarkable solutions to problems. It frustrated Barriss, time and again, that others in the Republic did not see the worth of the clones beyond expendable tools of warfare.

"Ah, here we are. The main mess," Trapper announced.

Barriss blinked as they walked into the dining area. It was stunning. One entire wall was lined with glass looking out into space. Since they were in hyperspace, stars streaked by in a continuous blur.

Trapper grinned and pointed. "We found some... uh... fine tableware in the formal dining area. The clones took a liking to it right away."

Troopers looked up from where they were dining on gild-lined plates and finely etched glasses held in scarred hands and battle-hardened fingers.

"Commander on deck!" shouted the trooper nearest the door.

In one smooth move, all troopers rose and stood at attention. Most troopers were dressed in pale green Kazzie fatigues. Some had cut their hair and were clean shaven again.

Trapper noticed her studying the clones. "Shave kits are in short supply. Those of us from Ord Cestus are the only ones who have them. A dozen kits for two legions isn't much. We're hoping to have everyone back to regulation by the time we reach Corrie." He leaned in toward her and whispered. "No one wants to meet their vode again looking like a Kowakian monkey."

Barriss tried to hold back an undignified snort of laughter, not sure if she entirely succeeded. She glanced over at Trapper and saw his eyes shining with mischief. He was a good one to have around Cody, and balance out his overly serious side. Friends like Trapper were essential and irreplaceable. She turned her attention back to the men in the room, amazed at the sheer number of clones they'd managed to rescue. Mixed in with clones dressed in improvised Kazzie fatigues, she spied the armored forms of Waxer, Boil, Jesse and Denal. As the troopers continued to stand rigidly at attention, Barriss grew uncomfortable. Her Master had put an end to such formalities in the 41st Elite, except during the rare occasions when senior Jedi came to visit. She looked over at Trapper.

"At ease," he mumbled under his breath.

"At ease," she said, then winced, wondering if her voice was even loud enough for the troopers to hear. But, the clones immediately sat, almost as one, and conversation resumed.

"Thanks," she said quietly to Trapper, as she followed him toward a serving counter that was set too high, "we aren't that formal in the 41st Elite."

The 212th trooper paused, and looked at her curiously, "I always pictured Commander Gree as being a total-" He caught himself, gave her his trademark grin as if caught saying something he shouldn't. She couldn't help but laugh again at his implied slight. Alright, yes, Gree _did_ sometimes have his moments. She noticed a few troopers looking over at them curiously. Trapper started again. "Going for the formalities."

Barriss decided not to get into the in's and out's of Commander Gree.

Trapper started pointing, taking his time as he pointed out the various food offerings to her. He didn't seem to mind in the least that troopers were studying them curiously. "I don't recommend the red fruits. We don't know what they are but we call them Trooper's Revenge." He leaned in toward her ear and whispered quietly. "Kix's scans might've said they're edible, but they try to claw their way back out of your gut. Don't risk it." Barriss couldn't help but laugh again.

He nodded serenely as if speaking from experience, and then pointed to another fruit. "These purple wrinkly ones are good." He smiled at her again. "They're Cody's favorite." Barriss added two of the fruits to her plate. Trapper continued on and made a vague gesture toward the storage room at the far end of the galley. "We discovered massive quantities of dried meat, but Coric said our bodies lack the enzyme to break it down." He sighed. "We're stuck with only fruit until we reach Corrie." He shrugged. "We've eaten worse and gotten by."

Barriss was now lost in thought, thinking of Cody, and no longer paying attention to what she added to her plate. They headed back out of the galley and walked on down the green corridors.

"Commander," Trapper began, sounding a bit uncertain as if broaching an uncomfortable topic, "can I ask you something about Jedi?"

"Of course, Trapper, what is it you want to know?"

"What happens when one of you gets into a relationship?"

Barriss blinked.

Trapper approached her even more directly, letting her know that _he_ knew. "For example, say, you find yourself a life mate."

Barriss looked over at the clone in surprise. She wasn't sure how to respond.

"Jedi aren't allowed to have attachments," Barriss answered automatically.

"Attachments," the trooper turned his gaze on the Jedi curiously, "That's what Cody said, too. But, I don't understand it. I can't say I understand it. How do you turn off your feelings like that? Isn't it normal for everybody to have feelings? Why should you turn them all off?"

Barriss stopped abruptly in the corridor, and stared at Trapper.

"I'm sorry, Commander. I meant no offense."

"No. It's…" She balanced her plate in one hand, pressed the back of her knuckles into her eyes and tried to think of an appropriate response. She struggled to provide a reasonable explanation for Jedi philosophy, in the same way it had been explained to her in the Temple. "If we care too much for one person, we lose focus on the whole."

Trapper looked thoughtful, weighing over her words. He shook his head. "We clones have a concept where we chose a brother. One brother that is closer to us than any other. It doesn't stop us from working together effectively."

Barriss tried to refute Trapper's logic with the beliefs that had been installed in her since the creche. "Jedi are forbidden to hold strong attachments. It is believed these emotions will lead to the dark side."

Trapper considered her words and then shook his head. "I still don't understand."

"The Jedi Code establishes rules and behavior for all Jedi. The main tenets of the code have stayed the same for generations."

He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "So, it is tradition." They walked on in silence again before he spoke up again with the straightforward earnestness that was so characteristic of the troopers. "But, what if those traditions don't make sense?"

"It is the Jedi way," Barriss said, echoing the words which had been said to her time and again at the Temple whenever she started asking deeper questions on longheld beliefs. She learned to stop asking questions. But, now she wasn't so sure. It was like hiding behind words, more than a reflection of her true beliefs.

Trapper stared at her for a long moment. He seemed to see through her. The beliefs she didn't truly believe. Something inside Barriss wavered. The silence stretched on between them uncomfortably, before he gave a graceful shrug of an armored shoulder. "Alright. Commander. As you say."

He pointed out a door. "Commander Cody's quarters." Trapper handed her the extra plate, which Barriss carefully balanced against her own plate. "Be careful," the trooper warned.

Barriss startled.

Trapper pointed to her plate. In her distraction of thinking about Cody in the mess hall she'd accidentally taken some red fruit. "You don't want to eat those." He nodded respectfully before disappearing down the corridor.

Barriss took a deep breath and faced the door. Now that she was here, she wasn't sure why she had come.

_I should go_, she told herself, preparing to retreat. She stopped herself, unable to bring herself to leave. Before she could change her mind, Barriss rapped on the thick, heavy door. Her knuckles made an odd metallic sound, echoing some of the emptiness inside herself.

"Come in Trap."

Barriss took a step closer and the automatic door sensor activated, sliding the sturdy door backwards into the wall.

The room was only partially-lit, and as Barriss' eyes adjusted, she noted that Cody was reclining against pillows on an oversized bunk. His chest armor was off and his bodysuit was opened up. He had a large heat pack slung over one of his shoulders.

The clone commander sat up, his eyes widening in surprise. "Barriss." The way he said her name in his deep voice affected her in a way that most un-Jedi-like. She should leave. She just needed to hear him say her name once more. It would be enough, and then she could go.

Cody's eyes narrowed, and his voice was chilled, reminding her they hadn't parted on the best of terms. "What are you doing here?"

Barriss flushed furiously. "I…" She stood awkwardly, the oversized plates feeling heavy in her hands. She shook her head. "I shouldn't be here. I'm sorry." She spied an oversized desk. "I'll leave this and go." She hurried across the room.

This had been a mistake.

"Barriss, wait." Cody rose quickly, and then emitted an involuntarily groan, putting a hand to his shoulder.

She quickly set down the two plates, and studied him in the dim lighting. "What happened here?" Bruising extended across his chest into his shoulder. She briefly considered making the room brighter so she could study the injury better, but like Trapper, Cody's eyes were ringed with exhaustion. She pressed her fingers lightly against his chest.

Cody started at her light touch, and stared down at her fingers touching him. She felt a torrent of emotion coming off of him at the touch, before he closed himself off. Sadness. Anger. Longing. Regret.

"It's some bruising. I've had worse," he said defensively, his gaze still hot and angry.

Barriss gave a small smile at that response. It was so typically _Cody_. "I know you have. But, I can still help. _Sit_." She pressed him back down. "Have you seen a medic?"

He shook his head.

"No time," and then he sighed, "and, too shabla tired. Trap got me the heatpack. I said I'd stop by medbay after I slept some." He shrugged, then winced at the pull on his shoulder. The anger left his gaze and he sighed. "Can you fix it?"

She sat down next to him on the bed and examined the bruising. "What happened?"

"Hand-to-hand combat. Kazzies are big," Cody said simply.

Barriss reached forward and lightly skimmed her hands over his injuries. She used her hands first to feel for injuries, and then she closed her eyes, and reached down into the Force. "Your shoulder is partially dislocated. I can heal it, but I'll need to work on the muscles around it first."

With a practiced gesture, she reached into the pouch on her belt and pulled out a compact container of medi-lotion.

Cody's nose wrinkled. He tried to look back over his shoulder, and winced. She pushed his head back forward. "Hold still," she admonished.

"I recognize that smell."

"You should," she rubbed a small amount on her hands, "it's a derivative of ryll and geldbitter salve. It has muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory properties. This is what I used on you on Ord Cestus."

Under her fingertips, all of Cody's muscles bunched up at the mention of their time together on the medical station. "_Relax_ or I'm not going to be able to move your shoulder back. It's me or medbay."

"I prefer being with you here," Cody said softly, and his low deep voice tickled her ear.

Barriss pushed memories of OrdCestus away and focused on healing his injury. Cody's head dropped naturally as she began to work out knotted muscles. She closed her eyes, focusing intently on her healing. She searched out the fiery inflammation surrounding the battered tissues. She worked closer and closer to the damage around his shoulder.

Barriss gave a sharp tug and the joint slid back into position. Cody yelped and his eyes flew open as the joint slid back into place. She focused on calming the nerves to relieve the pain, and his breathing steadied. His eyes shut as she worked through spasm after spasm, healing damaged tissues.

"How's the pain?"

"Better," he admitted, then hissed lightly as her fingers hit another tender spot. She focused on the inflammation, working until the tissue was normal again. She felt Cody relax more under her fingertips. Cody half-turned so he was facing the Jedi. "Why are you here and not with the General?"

Barriss didn't answer. She wasn't sure herself. She decided to evade the question. "Your shoulder is doing better. But, when your arm was pulled, it caused a great deal of resulting tension in the muscles of your back. We need to work this out or your neck injury will be aggravated again. Lie down."

Cody studied her again for a long moment before complying. He laid out flat on the bed. She grabbed one of the pillows off the floor, sliding it under his neck to make him more comfortable. She started kneading deeply into the muscles of his back, and felt him relax more under her fingertips. His eyes naturally closed. Silence descended between them for several long minutes.

She studied Cody as she worked, and realized she could not escape the truth. She finally answered his question. "I am here because I could not stay away."

Cody's eyes snapped open. "Barriss," her name escaped his lips as a groan, pulled deep from within.

Barriss slipped the healing lotion back into her belt.

She was done being a healer.

She skimmed her hand down his spine with the touch of a lover who knew the body of another.

Cody sucked in a breath. The hair on his arms standing up. She continued to skim her touch across his body for several long tantalizing minutes, and he continued to respond.

"Fek," the clone commander growled out, his voice deep throated and husky. He rolled over and took charge. He pushed the Jedi healer backwards. The bed felt stiff and hard, but made a delicious contrast of sensation to the muscled clone. muscular clone.

The debate back and forth with Trapper on Jedi morales echoed in the back of her mind.

But, her entire being quivered with excitement as Cody's weight pressed down upon her. His lips began an onslaught of down the length of Barriss' neck.

"Cody, your leg armor," she said, as the plates dug painfully into her skin.

The 212th commander reached down and with admirable skill shucked the pieces in record time. Now, she could _feel _him through his skin-tight bodysuit. He growled into her ear, and pressed up against her, insistent and urgent.

"Need you," he said huskily, keeping up his barrage of kisses, up and down her neck. Before Barriss could respond, he thrust back the hood that held her hair in place. "Hate this fekkin' thing," he grumbled. With the barrier removed, he started on assault on the sensitive skin behind her ears. She shivered in response.

"**We**\- **belong**\- **together**," Cody said, punctuating each word with the onslaught of his body.

She could not resist him.

# # #

Cody fell into a deep sleep after hours of intense lovemaking, making use of every curve and space in the room. Jango Fett must have been a most imaginative man with great stamina.

She allowed herself the luxury of watching him sleep. She savored each second, memorizing every line and curve on his face all over again.

But, something about these seconds seemed final. As if these moments would not come again.

Every parsec brought them closer to Coruscant.

She rose as quietly as she could, careful not to disturb the exhausted clone. He looked peaceful in sleep. The stern expression finally eased from his face and was replaced with an innocence which made him look so much younger. She was struck with an intense sadness as she was reminded she was actually older than Cody. She continued to watch him sleep. His short-cropped hair had grown out during his time at Ord Cestus. It curled slightly now at the nape of his neck, and there was a single wisp of grey by his left ear. She sighed, knowing the years were slipping away from his life much too quickly. She wanted to stay like this forever, in this one moment, and ignore the rest of the universe. Pretend there was no war, no Jedi Order and Grand Army of the Republic. It was only the two of them in this moment in their safe little bubble.

Cody stirred slightly in his sleep, reaching out for her. She pulled back slightly out of his reach. His brow furrowed, but exhaustion pulled him back under and he slept on. She slowly backed further up. She had to leave.

Her body was sticky and sweaty and she desperately needed a shower.

_He_ desperately needed a shower and stank of sweat and sex and man and clone.

But, if she showered here she would not be doing so alone.

She had to go. She took two steps toward the door, and stopped. She looked back toward the bed. Toward Cody. He was the most beautiful man alive.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the scent that was uniquely Cody.

She knew what she had to do.

If she did not go now, she would never be able to leave.

If she stayed, she would destroy them both. She quietly slipped out the door, although she could barely see as she headed down the corridor. Her vision was blurred and she was not sure she was headed in the correct direction.

She startled at a sudden voice.

"Commander, I was headed back to your side of the ship. Would you like to walk together?"

Trapper seemed to materialize out of nowhere. He looked as if he still hadn't slept. The lines of exhaustion under his eyes were even deeper and he looked like he was fighting to stay awake on his feet. She stared at him for a long moment as her brain tried to catch up with his words. He waited patiently, his arms folded behind his back in parade rest. Finally, she nodded gratefully and the two walked together for several long awkward minutes.

Trapper broke the silence first.

"You didn't eat the red fruit, did you?" he said, and there was a teasing glint in his eyes.

Barriss was so lost in her thoughts, it took her a moment to even register that the 212th trooper had spoken. It took her even longer to decipher his words. "What? Uh, no, he ate the other fruits, not the red one."

Trapper nodded, a glimmer of amusement twinkling his eyes. "You must be hungry." He rummaged around in his belt pouch and withdrew a rations bar. "My last one. I've been saving it."

She stared at it.

He shrugged, the gesture reminding her so much of Cody in that moment. He continued to hold the bar out to her. "They might taste like sand, but they don't claw their way outta' your gut like the Kazzie fruit."

Barriss accepted the precious bar with a grateful nod. "Thank you." The generous nature of the clones never failed to amaze her.

They passed a number of clones who looked at the two curiously. Trapper hit them all with a glare worthy of Cody. She noticed one of them sniff the air slightly as they passed. The clones all had heightened senses as part of their Kaminoan genetic modifications. But, what could he have been smelling on her-

The clone turned on her with widened eyes.

"Eyes front, trooper!" Trapper snapped out.

The two clones immediately complied. But, after they rounded the corner her sensitive ears detected the low murmuring of clone voices. She picked up the words "Trapper" and "the commander."

She gasped.

"Are you alright, Commander?"

She looked over at the 212th trooper. Trapper's eyes were kind and compassionate. He stopped in the hallway, his helmet tucked neatly under his arm. It was well known how much clones loved to gossip. Within hours, every clone on the ship would be mouthing off about about Trapper.

And, none would be spreading rumors about Commander Cody.

"You're a good friend," she said, giving the 212th trooper a nod of respect. Since Barriss was headed back to the 41st Elite, she had less to worry about with the idle gossip of the 212th. It was a brilliant strategy. She looked over at Trapper with renewed respect.

"If you say so, Commander," Trapper said politely. He started walking again, staying by her side in companionable silence. A few minutes later, they arrived in front of her quarters. Trapper gave her a crisp nod and disappeared as quickly as he'd materialized.

Barriss blew out a sigh and headed into her quarters.

She'd almost forgotten about Kale.

The clone medic was dozing lightly, sitting beside her Master's bedside. He woke immediately upon her entrance. "Master Unduli rested peacefully throughout the night. Her condition remains unchanged. Vitals stable." He studied her for a moment. "Did you enjoy your respite, Commander?"

"Yes, Kale, thank you."

The medic nodded. "Will you be needing anything else?"

Barriss shook her head.

Kale turned to leave.

He was almost out the door before Barriss remembered. "Kale, I've sewn my own Jedi robes," she gestured to his oversized Kazzie fatigues. "I could take those in for you." She tapped her Jedi pouch. "I could have it done in a few minutes. I have the supplies here." She pointed to the refresher. "If you want to shower, I could have it done, by the time you are done." Then, she reconsidered. "You clones shower so quickly. Take a _long_ shower, and I'll have it done."

Kale grinned. "I have never before been ordered to take a long shower, Commander. Best order ever. Thank you, sir!" He disappeared into the refresher and handed the fatigues out the door to her.

She sat down on her bunk to hem them. She also knew that the medic would not be gossiping about her. Maybe it was underhanded of her to _buy _his loyalty this way, but she needed to protect Cody. She would do what she needed to do, in order to do the right thing in the end.

She skillfully hemmed up the oversized fatigues and pushed them back through the refresher doorway. Kale emerged a few minutes later, skin shining and grinning.

"Thank you, commander!" he said, looking down at his newly resized fatigues. He stretched out his limbs. "And, thank you for allowing me a long shower. Best I've felt in months, too."

Barriss felt a stab of guilt. It took so little to make the clones happy.

Kale headed over and checked Unduli again, checking her vitals again. He then nodded, saluted the commander and headed out.

Barriss was alone now.

Except for her very comatose Master.

She had time to reflect upon her night with Cody.

She carefully placed the precious rations bar on the table near her oversized bunk. She didn't want to eat it. It was a reminder of Trapper, a remarkable clone, and what he had done for her. She sighed and scrubbed at her face, and then out of habit went to check on her Master, even though Kale had just done so. Even though her Master was unconscious, Barriss was somehow afraid her Jedi master would know what she had been doing. But, there was no change. Her face remained peaceful and serene and it looked as if she would not awaken for some time.

Barriss headed to the refresher and stripped off her clothes. As hot water poured over her body, she tried to invigorate herself. She let the steam envelope her body, her thoughts cascading back to the hours spent with Cody.

She wanted to go back, continue to watch him sleep. Watch him wake up. She wanted to be with him again. She couldn't. She had to end this. What was she doing? But, she couldn't seem to stay away from Cody. She was drawn to him like fleek oil to flame. Would they destroy each other with how hotly they blazed together?

She tried to end it. Time and time again.

Everytime she did, she felt as if she was shattering inside.

She sank down to her knees, curled herself in a ball and wept. She had no idea how to handle any of these emotions.

# # #

"These are your quarters, Captain. Commander Cody is down there on the left. Captain Ko and Captain Leon are down on the right."

"Thanks, Fives," Rex said. "I can take it from here."

The ARC snorted. "Coric told me to make sure you hit your bunk and stay there."

Rex smiled and shook his head. He'd been in bacta for the past day. The wound on his chest was now a faint line. The cut in his neck was completely healed, and even his knee felt the best it had been since he'd been injured. He explored the room briefly, and then his nose wrinkled. "What's that smell?"

"That's Kazzie's fur," Fives said, "you can smell it throughout the ship, but it's strongest in the living quarters."

"Ah," Rex nodded. Right. It did seem discomfortingly familiar. He flashed back to being pinned to the Kazzie leader, a knife against his throat.

Fives' voice brought him back. "You need anything else? I want to go check on Echo," the ARC's voice had been steady while speaking to Rex, but wavered slightly when speaking of his badly injured brother.

"No. I'll be fine. How is Echo doing?" Rex had wanted to stay and make rounds visiting injured troopers in the medbay, but Coric had expressly forbidden it.

Fives' face was set into a grim mask. "Kix can't give us an estimate yet for how long he'll be in bacta."

"Has _Kix_ slept?"

"Doubtful."

Rex gave the ARC a critical look, taking in the deep shadows under his eyes. "Have you?"

Fives shook his head and ran an agitated hand through his thick black hair. "I couldn't get my mind to shut down. I ended up walking the corridors. When I returned to my medbay, I tried to get Kix to take a rest."

"Of course he refused."

"He said he'd go after Coric."

"I'll speak with Cody. We'll have to make it an order."

"You're not supposed to be working."

"As ordered by my medics who refuse to rest themselves and an ARC who hasn't slept."

"Point well taken." Fives pointed to the bed. "Speaking of which, you're supposed to be resting."

"Not an issue. I'm almost asleep already," Rex assured him.

"You're sure you don't need anything else?" Fives asked.

"No. Go on, Fives. Get back to Echo. And, try to squeeze in some sleep, vod. You're no good to Echo if you collapse yourself." The ARC nodded and left.

Rex found himself so paralyzed by fatigue he couldn't move. He stood in the center of the room looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings, his mind going over everything he needed to do before Coruscant. He could get a couple of hours of work done before he slept. He needed caf and a datapad. He looked around the room. He didn't have either one.

He didn't like this room. It was too big. It didn't feel like a room a clone should be living in. He continued to stand in the middle, feeling out of place. It was an unsettling feeling. A storage chest stood at the foot of the bunk. Acting on a hunch, he opened the chest and found his armor inside. The sight reassured him.

His armor had been cleaned of blood and grime, although there was still blast damage on the chest piece. His bodysuit had been replaced and was neatly folded underneath the armor. Rex stared at the new suit in wonder, running his hands over the seamless mesh. It must have been donated by one of the men from Ord Cestus. Rex had already begun to wear through his spare suit by his second month on Ando. It was a precious gift. He sighed, tempted to track down the owner of the suit and return it. It was almost too much to accept. He precisely folded the suit and put it back in the chest. He pulled out his helmet, also neatly polished and free of Darkknellian grime. He slid it on and sighed with relief as he was back within the safe, familiar environment of his helmet. Everything about it _felt_ right. It even had the perfect smell to it. He breathed in and out deeply several times, just relaxing in the normalcy for a few seconds before getting back to work.

He commed Cody.

The 212th commander picked up the call, voice only. "Commander Cody."

"Fek Cody, did I wake you up?"

There was a snort. "Not exactly protocol, Rex."

"Fek," Rex admitted, "you're right."

Cody chuckled.

"Where are you now?" Rex asked.

Cody switched on the visual. He was shrugging into his bodysuit, although the material was sticking to him since he was still glistening wet. "I'm headed back on duty in a few minutes." He looked back into the viewscreen and gave Rex a curious once over. "I see you escaped medbay."

"Yes. That's what I wanted to discuss."

Cody finished tugging up his suit. "You want to go back?" There was a slight teasing tone in his voice. The visual shifted and Rex found himself staring up at Cody's face from the side as he efficiently shaved. He was surprised at this lighter side of the 212th commander. His friend had changed in the couple of months he'd been away. There was a mellower side balancing out his usual grim seriousness.

"No. According to Fives, Kix and Coric have been on duty since we left Darkknell."

"I see." Cody turned his head, and started shaving the other side of his face. "You'd like to order them to take a rest."

"Exactly. But, I can't. I'm officially not on duty."

"By those same medics."

"Yes."

"I'll take care of it. Anything else?" Cody brusquely combed his hair. He studied the finished result, patting an errant strand into place.

"No." Rex watched Cody with interest, wondering when the 212th commander became so fastidious about grooming. Or, so shabla cheerful.

He shook his head. Cody cut the connection, but before he did Rex thought he heard the 212th commander humming under his breath. Clone commanders did not hum. Fekkin' odd.

# # #

"Again, I expect Trapper, and I get you," Cody smiled at Barriss' unexpected appearance at his door. He was holding his shave kit in his hand. "Trap was supposed to come and pick this up. My allotted time is up." He shook his head. "You would not believe the schedule they have for this thing. I don't get to shave again for another full rotation."

"Cody. We need to talk."

He frowned at the serious tone in Barriss' voice and glanced up and down the corridor. It was empty. He ushered her into his room.

"Everything OK?"

Barriss shook her head.

"Did something happen with General Unduli?"

"No. Sorry. I'm usually much more direct. I-"

The clone commander's eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped dangerously low. "_Don't_."

"Cody, please, this cannot work. We cannot be together."

He crossed his arms and his voice dripped with sarcasm. "Last night, we had no problems being _together. _ What changed since then?" He looked perplexed, and _hurt_.

It tore at Barriss to hurt him like this, not when she cared for him so deeply. This was wrong. So wrong.

She tried to explain it, without making it any worse. "All the Masters are currently unconscious. Everything will be different when we return to Coruscant."

He stared at her. His mouth slightly agape, showing his perfect teeth. "You're effin' serious."

"We're headed back to Coruscant and everything will be different once we are there. I will be back at the Temple with Master Unduli while she heals and we cannot be seen together-"

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Are you _ashamed_ of lowering yourself to a clone?"

"Cody, no!" It couldn't be further from the truth. She loved Cody. The realization hit her suddenly and powerfully. There was so much about him that she loved.

And, she could not tell him.

He stared at her defiantly. Anger and hurt blazing in his eyes.

"If anyone found out, I would be expelled from the Order, and you-"

"I know what would happen to me!" Cody snapped. He stared at her and the silence stretched on between them. "Are we done here?"

"Cody," Barriss said his name. He stared at her, but she couldn't say any of the things she was truly feeling. The Jedi Code was coming between them.

He waited, and then shook his head in hurt and disgust. "Don't come to me again." As he stalked down the hallway, she thought she heard him spit out the word "Jedi" as if it was an epithet.

# # #


	3. Chapter 3 The Choices We Make

**Rex II**

**Chapter 3**

Trapper rounded the corner and pulled up short to avoid running headlong into Cody. The smile on his lips died as he took in his friend's rigid body language. Cody jammed the shave kit into Trapper's chest hard enough to push him back slightly, side-stepped around him and continued on.

"Hey!" Trapper objected at the unprovoked harsh treatment. He spun around and followed the 212th commander. "What the shab's gotten into you?"

Cody ignored him and headed toward the turbolift, his armored boots clicking against the deck with angry precision.

Trapper hurried to match his pace with the other clone. "I get it now. There's only one person that gets you this fired up."

"Leave it alone, Trap," Cody's voice was a menacing, warning growl. They headed into a lift large enough to fit two squads of clones.

The ARF trooper ignored the warning and continued to follow Cody. "No. I won't leave it. Why can't you two work it out? It's fekkin' obvious you two-"

"Not- another- word!" Cody shouted. He grabbed the other clone by his chest armor, and pinned him up against the side of the lift. As plastoid scraped up against durasteel, it made an unpleasant screech of protest. "This is not _up_ for discussion." Cody's voice was low and menacing. "Do I make myself clear?" The turbo lift stopped, and he released Trapper as they reached the bridge.

"Sir, yes, sir." The ARF Trooper said crisply, bitterness clear in his voice. He straightened out his chest plate, crisply adjusting the armor back into place. He glanced back over his shoulder at the scrape of camo paint on the lift wall. He shook his head. "I need to deliver this kit," he said, thickly. As Cody exited the lift, Trapper jammed the button to shut the doors and departed again. Before the lift doors opened again, Trapper had cleaned all evidence of the scrape away.

# # #

Cody stared at the datapad in his hand, realizing he hadn't registered anything he'd read in the past several minutes. He was _supposed_ to be reviewing shipwide status reports accumulated by Ko during the night shift. But, he was so fekkin' distracted he couldn't get past the first report.

_Distracted means dead._

It was one of the first lessons Alpha-17 had taught him during his specialized training on Kamino. Cody turned his attention back to the pad, trying to make sense of the words and turn them into action items for the current duty shifts. The lift doors swished open. Trapper walked immediately to his station without an acknowledging nod toward Cody. The ARF trooper relieved the the clone at the primary weapons station and set to work, turning his back on the 212th commander.

Cody blew out a long sigh. He knew his friend was angry with him. He could give it a few days. Try and let it blow over. Or, tuck his head between his sheb'se and apologize now for behaving like an di'kut.

"Trapper, briefing room," Cody ordered. He headed into the auxiliary room off the main bridge, without waiting to see if the other trooper followed. He'd used the briefing room a number of times already for working through operational logistics meetings. He stood in front of the perma-glass wall which dominated one wall of the room. A slight blur of white showed their continuous progress through hyperspace back toward Coruscant.

"You wanted to see me, _sir_?" Trapper stood just inside the doorway, body held rigidly at attention.

"At ease," Cody turned and waved one hand toward the dark, polished Kriin-wood table which dominated the center of the room. "Sit."

"I'd prefer to remain standing, _sir_."

Cody shook his head. Trapper only ever used his title around others.

_Or, when I'm behaving like a shabuir. _

After a long beat, the 212th commander removed his bucket and set it down on the table. It was a sign he wanted to talk more informally. The ARF trooper did the same, their helmets, at least sitting side-by-side.

"You know I'm not good with words so I'll come right out and say it," Cody began. "I was angry and I took it out on you. I was an di'kut. I'm sorry."

Trapper studied him a long moment until finally he nodded with satisfaction. "For someone who claims not to be good with words, you did alright." He pointed an accusing finger at Cody. "Don't do it again." He rubbed at his back and grimaced. "You're a strong son of a Jango." He cocked his head to the side, and regarded Cody curiously. "Exactly what happened that you had to throw me across the lift first thing in the morning?"

Cody shook his head. "I can't talk about it."

"But, it had to do with Commander Offee."

It was a statement, not a question. The fact Trapper was so certain of this information was unsettling.

"Trap, I can't discuss it. She is your superior officer. And, much as you like to constantly overlook it, I am as well."

The ARF trooper folded his arms across his chest. "Fine. I'll discuss it. _I_ showed her the way to your quarters last night."

Cody studied him with narrowed eyes. He wasn't sure if he should be grateful or angry with his friend.

"I also walked her _back_ to her quarters several hours later." Trapper continued.

The 212th commander took a deep breath. He had awoken alone after several very intense hours of lovemaking with Barriss. Then again, their physical time together was _always_ intense since they were both in peak condition and could push their bodies to do extraordinary things. He would often keep going to the edges of unconsciousness.

He'd woken up in a good mood, thinking maybe they could _somehow_ work things out. He didn't want to think through logistics or strategy for once. For the brief couple of minutes while he was showering and shaving, he fooled himself into thinking he deserved a bit of fekkin' happiness. Then, Barriss had come knocking on his door and reality had immediately come crashing down again. Even for those few minutes, he'd known it was all a shabla' bubble. There was no fekkin' way. Clones were born in vats and sent to battlefields to die. And, that's fekking it. There was no room for any other kind of life. He was such an di'kut for thinking anything else for even a few shabla' minutes.

_Fek. Trapper was talking._

The ARF trooper snapped his fingers in front of Cody's face.

"I said, she was very distracted on the way back to her quarters," the ARF trooper repeated, saying the words again louder. "Exactly like you are now." He shook his head. "Pretty fekkin' obvious something happened."

"Trapper-" Cody started.

"No, let me finish. We passed a number of troopers on the way back to her quarters. Many of them noticed there was something _different_ about the commander, as well."

Cody's eyes widened with alarm.

"We clones have such a keen sense of smell. After calibrating our decees, we always need a shower to wash off-"

"I _get_ it, Trapper," Cody hissed out. "Oh, fek." He ground a palm into his eyes. As if there wasn't already enough trouble waiting in Coruscant. He sank down into the nearest chair, his legs no longer feeling like they could support him. "This is exactly what we were trying to avoid. Why we can never… " He hadn't even realized he'd spoken outloud, until he felt Trapper's hand on his shoulder.

"It's handled."

Cody's eyes narrowed as he waited for Trapper to continue.

"They all think she was with me," the ARF trooper said. "I didn't do anything to dissuade them of the notion. I've already been to the mess hall and the gym this morning. Twice. Rumors are already circulating. The stories are getting better by the hour."

Cody leaned back in his chair, decided it was horribly uncomfortable due to the size of the chair, and sat forward again. He tried to work through this latest development. His brow furrowed and he shook his head. "But, Barriss… Commander Offee… If word reaches the Jedi Council… and you…"

Trapper shrugged. "She can deny everything. She barely knows me. We hardly had any contact at Ord Cestus. It will easily be shown to be no more than idle clone gossip."

Cody blew out a sigh, thinking it through. He stared out the perma-glass window, thinking it through. "I don't know what to say."

"Just watching your back, like I always do," Trapper grinned.

"And, I threw your back into a wall."

"You did."

"I owe you."

"You do."

Cody nodded thoughtfully.

Trapper shrugged and flipped on a large holochart. "What do you say I gather up Ko and the bridge crew and we have another one of your endlessly boring strategy and review meetings?"

"You have such a way with words."

"I can send one of those eager shinies from the five oh first out to get us some of that evil sludge that passes for Kazzie caf."

"Not sure there is anything shinie about them anymore after several months in a Kazzie prison," Cody observed.

Trapper scoffed. "They're still shiny in my book. That relegates them to caf duty."

Cody managed a slight laugh. "Noticed you're not making the 212th troopers do it."

The ARF trooper laughed. "More fun to make the boys in blue do it."

The 212th commander shook his head. "Wait until Rex gets back on duty."

Trapper shrugged. "We have one more day to have a little fun. Shall we take a look at the duty roster and see what we can do with the boys in blue today?"

Cody grabbed his helmet off the table and slid it back on. Trapper did the same, disappearing out the door to gather up the necessary members for the S&amp;R meeting. Cody glanced at the holochart, before grabbing his datapad off his belt to start on the overnight status reports again. The raw aching and bitterness was still there, but he felt he could just make it through today.

# # #

Rex stripped out of the Kazzie fatigues he'd been given in medbay. They were several sizes too big, and held on with an improvised belt. But, the camo fatigues, in several shades of the Kazzie green, were surprisingly comfortable. He folded them with perfect precision, set them aside, and walked naked across the room and into the attached refresher. He was grateful the recently free Legions had something to wear other than the rags they'd been dressed in when they came onboard.

Coric had refused to give him more than a cursory report on the condition of the men before he'd left medbay, insisting he needed to be resting and not working. But, he did to put Rex's mind at ease and say the men were all recovering well, especially considering the conditions they'd been under during their captivity. Coric himself still looked gaunt and exhausted. The medic had showered and shaved, but his hair was still long enough to curl down to the nape of his neck. And, the moment Rex started asking follow-up questions about the men, he was kicked out of medbay and sent to his quarters.

He sighed, and studied the controls in the shower. The Kazzie alphabet was nothing like Aurebesh. If he chose the wrong setting, he'd scald himself.

_Fek. He made it through the Battle of Darkknell, and now he is defeated by the Kazzie shower._

He was about to comm Leon for translation assistance when he noticed the flimsi next to the sink. A meticulous diagram on using the Kazzie shower, and everything else in the room had been printed out in perfect clone writing. He chuckled as he noticed some of the details in the diagrams, including pictures of Kazzies doing questionable things with various items in the room.

_Fives._

He double-checked the diagram again, and set the controls for the shower. He owed the ARC. He stepped back while he waited for the water to adjust and carefully redirected the nozzles. Unusual creatures, the Kazzies. Why would they want a nozzle pointed at... He shook his head, and decided it was better if he left some mysteries unsolved.

He closed his eyes as the water ran over him and felt all his muscles relax. He sagged forward and pressed his forehead against the tile. Staying awake in the bacta was starting to take its toll on his body. The few hours of rest he'd gotten under sedative-induced sleep hadn't been nearly enough. It had been such a long couple of days…

He awoke long after the water had grown cold. Someone was knocking at the door.

"Come," he called out, his voice still raspy from the bacta. "Coric, I'm sorry I had to pull you off-duty-"

"It's me, Rex."

"Ahsoka," her name came out as a hoarse whisper. He finally recovered himself, and managed to state the obvious. "I'm in the shower." He felt his previously loosened muscles tense up.

He heard a laugh come from the other side of the doorway. The one with no actual door. "Yes. I'm a Jedi. I figured that one out." There was a short pause. "Do you want me to leave?" Her voice suggested she did not want to go.

He hesitated. He needed to talk with her and in another day he'd be back on duty. Yes, fek, she should go. No.

"Rex?" Ahsoka prompted.

"Stay. I'll be out shortly. Stay out there."

Ahsoka laughed. "I wasn't planning on coming in." As soon as she said the words, a heavy and uncomfortable silence fell between them.

Rex shut off the water and the silence deepened.

"Fek." Rex hadn't even realized he'd said the word out loud until Ahsoka responded.

"Are you alright?"

He blew out an exasperated sigh. "Kazzies don't use towels, do they?"

"Not that we've been able to figure out. There's been a shipwide debate on the matter."

"Glad it's not just me," Rex grumbled.

A moment later, a hand reached around the door, holding up his bodysuit. "You want this, or those snazzy Kazzie pants?"

"This is fine, thank you." He accepted the suit, and quickly shrugged into the lower half, feeling it pull against his wet skin. He walked out, water still beading down off of him.

The Jedi padawan was staring at him curiously. He flushed self-consciously, noticing her intense scrutiny. He dragged a hand along his grizzled chin. "I'm sorry. I haven't had a chance to shave. My kit is loaned out."

"No," her mortals deepened in color, and she swallowed, "it's… uh… good."

He wasn't sure what to make of her reaction, and still felt completely out-of-regulation. He scrubbed a hand through his scalp which was also longer than normal. She stepped closer and her hand followed his through his scalp. He couldn't suppress a shiver. He immediately stepped back and decided it would be safer if he put some distance between them. She always had been fascinated by his hair. She'd teasingly run her hand through his hair many times before, but now... he couldn't take it now.

Her gaze dropped to his chest as she studied the faint evidence of the blaster wound. "How are you feeling?"

_Hot. Nervous. Confused. Frightened._

He blew out a breath, stalling for time. "Fine." Ahsoka raised up a skeptical eyebrow at him, obviously not believing that particular answer. He tried again. "Groggy. Stiff. The usual way you feel coming out of bacta." He looked down at his hands for a moment, and knew the time for small talk was done. He took a deep breath, and decided the sooner they got this over with the better. It wasn't going to be any less painful for putting it off. "Ahsoka, we-"

"Rex, I-"

They both stopped, looking at each other awkwardly.

"Do you want to sit?" Rex finally asked. He looked around. There was no place to sit but the bed.

_Huge strategic miscalculation, Rex. For creatures that like huge rooms, the Kazzies have a surprising lack of furniture. What the fek do they do with all this space anyway?_

He tucked _that_ mystery away, and forced himself to focus.

Ahsoka hesitated, looking around the room, and then finally sat down on the edge of the bed. "It's been a long time since we've had a chance to talk. Not since you shipped out to ArmyMed."

Rex closed his eyes for a moment, composing himself. He opened his eyes and looked at Ahsoka again. "So much changed for me after I was sent there."

The Jedi padawan regarded him curiously, thinking about his words. "Did it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did it change how you feel about me?"

Rex locked his hands behind his back, legs slightly spread apart, in perfect military poise. He took a long time to consider her words. He blew out a deep, shuddering breath. He chose his words carefully. "My feelings have not changed since Christophsis."

Ahsoka's eyes widened. "What do you feel?"

The five oh first Captain thought for a long time. He struggled with words he was never trained to express. "I carry a part of you inside of me."

Her eyes started to swim with tears and he looked into her brilliant blue eyes.

He continued. "Our ship crashed on the way to Kamino. All I could think of in those final moments was _you_." He paused again, wanting to get this right. "But, that doesn't change who we are. _What_ we are."

The tears in Ahsoka's eyes rolled down her cheeks.

"You know we can't be together, and that is why you came here tonight," Rex said the final words, and knew they were the right words, but each one was more painful than anything that happened to him at Darkknell or TriLuna.

She stood up, and placed a hand on his chest, softly stroking the faint scar left by the blaster mark from the Kaz'harian leader. Rex shivered and closed his eyes.

"One night," Ahsoka said softly, her lips followed the path of her hand.

Rex shuddered and he groaned. _One night_. Surely he _deserved_ one night. _They_ deserved one night. His eyes shot open and he pulled back. "No."

"_One_ night," Ahsoka's eyes were pleading, "it is all we will ever have. With the war-"

"No," his voice was a pained gasp. He took another step back and put up a hand stopping her from coming any closer. "Don't make this any harder, Ahsoka. If I spend the night with you, I won't…"

_I won't ever be able to let you go._

He stepped back further. He had to turn his back on her. He saw his armor. He grabbed the pieces, and started yanking them on, dressing in record time. "I'll walk you back to your quarters." He wasn't sure if his voice sounded normal, but he had to say something. He felt safer once he was back in his armor. He left his helmet off, as tempting as it was to pull it on, but he avoided making eye contact with Ahsoka for the entire walk through the corridors and she didn't attempt to speak with him. He could still feel the imprint of her hand on his chest. It was likely branded there permanently. She disappeared into her quarters silently. The doors swished shut and he was left alone standing in the corridor.

Losing the Andoan Legion was difficult enough, but this felt like it was tearing him up from the inside out. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. And, he had yet to face the GAR in Coruscant.

# # #


	4. Chapter 4 Strategic Planning

**Rex II**

**Chapter Four**

Cody studied Rex over his cup of caf. They were alone in the briefing room and Cody was enjoying the rare moment of quiet.

He took another sip of caf. Fekkin' awful stuff. No wonder the Kazzie leader had been so foul tempered.

_If I had to drink this rot on a regular basis, __I'd have the temperament of an enraged gundark, too._

But, he drank it anyway because he needed the caffeine. He'd barely slept, with the only few solid hours of sleep in the past week having come the night Barriss had visited. And, he hadn't so much _fallen_ asleep as passed out as always happened when he was pleasuring the Mirialan. He never stopped until they were both-

He scowled and gulped down the rest of his caf. It burned his throat, but it was better than thinking about Barriss. He turned back to studying Rex, who had his full attention on the briefing materials. For somebody who had just returned to duty, the five oh first captain looked like he hadn't rested. His eyes were darkly shadowed, and tight lines of tension were drawn around his mouth.

Rex had arrived into the briefing room early, but had settled into a chair without even a mumbled 'good morning.' He was also reading everything without commenting, and he always had feedback.

Something was going on.

Cody's thoughts drifted back to the moment Commander Tano charged into the dungeons and beheaded the Kazzie leader.

He studied Rex with narrowed eyes.

_None of my fekkin' business._

Cody refilled both of their caf cups using the carafe on the table. Rex looked up for the first time and grumbled thanks before burying himself back into his reading. Cody wasn't an di'kut. He could see what had been going on between the two of them, and what was making Rex so miserable now. Vode could practically communicate without speaking, particularly when they were as close as Rex and Cody.

_Did he have the courage to walk away on his own? Did Commander Tano choose the Jedi Order over him? _

He was curious, but he would never fekkin' ask. He was trained to discuss battle tactics and strategies, but this… Cody frowned again. Clones didn't talk about such things.

He scowled fiercely and polished off his second cup of caf. He sighed. The taste wasn't getting any better.

He'd given the other clone enough time for review. A clone could read 2025 words a minute and he'd already given Rex an extra fifteen seconds. Cody cleared his throat and flipped on the holochart over the table.

Rex looked up and focused his attention on Cody. He set down the ref 'pad, leaned back in the oversized Kazzie chair, and settled his hands around his mug.

"When we drop out of hyperspace, we will need authorization and command codes. We are flying in an enemy battle cruiser and can assume we will come under immediate attack." Cody pointed into the chart, showing a simulation of their enormous ship confronting several Jedi cruisers. "If the Fifth Fleet has been reassigned to another battalion, we may even come under attack by our own former ships. We have to be prepared for any possibility."

He punched up another screen, and a holographic projection of numbers appeared.

"We can assume all of your command codes and mine are useless. Yours would've been deactivated when you were decommissioned." He noticed Rex's hand clenching tightly around his mug at the mention of his dismissal. He ignored it and continued on. "Mine would have been shut down the moment I went AWOL. So, where does that leave us?"

He thought he heard Rex grumble _'fekked'_ under his breath. However, at Cody's raised eyebrow, the five oh first Captain cocked his head to the side, straightened up and appeared to give the question proper consideration. Rex stared into the holochart, deep in thought.

Cody decided to let the muttering go. He'd get Rex back to protocol before they reached Coruscant.

"We need other options," Cody said, hands behind his back, as he walked over to the plexi-glass wall, looking out into hyperspace. In the reflection of the glass, he could see his vod was still lost in thought. Something about the dark, polished Kriin-wood table seemed to have captured Rex's attention. He was tapping the table thoughtfully. He could tell Rex was already onto an idea. He'd seen that look with his vod before. Rex unclipped his datapad from his belt, and set it down on the table. He started typing notes with one hand, while grabbing a stack of nearby flimsi with another. Cody smiled with satisfaction. He considered getting some more caf while he waited for Rex to finish, but his stomach rebelled against the thought of any more of the harsh brew.

He left Rex to his thoughts. The five oh first captain was notoriously creative. He took out his own datapad, and started approving status reports and answering questions from the department heads around the ship. An hour later, Cody looked up and checked on Rex. The Captain was now surrounded by a stack of carefully sketched drawings and diagrams.

"You eaten?" he asked Rex.

It took the other clone a moment to even register the question. Rex looked up and shook his head. Cody hadn't taken the time to grab breakfast either. His mind had been too focused on other things.

"I'll have Trapper send one of the shinies out on a food run."

Rex ignored him, still focused on his work. Cody privately commed Trapper, who was only too happy to delegate the task to the nearest five oh first trooper.

"Wait. Shinies?" Rex questioned, finally looking up.

Cody made a vague gesture toward the bridge with one hand. "Trapper is helping break in some rookies. He's always been good that way." He quickly changed the subject. "So, what do you have for me?"

Rex didn't answer the question directly. He took a deep breath and studied his drawings critically. "I'm not sure this will work. The Kazzies might not even have the technology. But, judging by all the effort they put into building other parts of the ship, it reminds me of the pirate raider..." He tapped the wooden table again.

Cody stared at him, frowning, wondering what tables and pirates had to do with the fact the Fifth Fleet might be blowing their shebs into pieces in a few days. "I don't follow."

Rex held up an incredibly complex vector diagram.

Cody's eyes widened. "Is that what I think it is?"

"I'm going to need Leon for language assist to interface with the ship, and every engineer onboard."

# # #

Rex didn't expect to run into Coric on the way back to his quarters. He almost considered avoiding the medic, because he knew he looked as exhausted as he felt. But, then he noticed the medic was stumbling on his feet and looked worse than he did.

"Coric? You alright?"

"Rex?" the medic blinked.

"Where are you headed?"

"My quarters."

"Good choice," Rex slipped an arm under his shoulders. "Which way?" The medic still felt perilously thin and there was bone in places where there should have been thickly corded muscle.

Coric pointed.

"Have you slept? I ordered-" He stopped and caught himself. "Cody ordered you off-duty."

"Wasn't fooled." He sighed. "I went off-duty. But, I couldn't sleep. Just completed my on-duty shift again."

"Fek, Coric."

"I'm tired," the medic admitted.

"And, you complain about _me_," Rex sighed.

"These are my quarters," Coric pointed out a doorway, in a long corridor of identical doors. "Thanks. I'll-"

Rex activated the door and the lights automatically came on. "Which bunk is yours?" It was a standard six bunk room, with four of them showing signs of having been used at some point.

"I'm here," Coric pointed to the middle set of bunks. "Kix is above me. Chopper is over there. Fives is there. He insisted we leave the bottom bunk for Echo, in case he gets out of bacta before Corrie."

"You think he will?" Rex asked.

"Hard to say. He was in rough shape when we found him. The delay in finding him…" Coric yawned.

He eased Coric down on the bunk. "Arms up." He quickly undressed the medic, peeling him out of the oversized Kazzie fatigues. He carefully avoided reacting at the sight of his vod's prominent ribs.

"I can't believe my Captain is tucking me into my bunk," Coric grumbled, but then groaned with fatigue as Rex pushed him back onto his pillow.

With the practiced ease of having done the move before, Rex flipped up the blankets with one hand and pushed Coric underneath with the other. "Don't get used to it," Rex admonished lightly. He neatly folded the fatigues, and set them into the footlocker. "I won't do this for just anyone."

The medic gave a tired snort of disbelief, since they both knew it was a fekkin' lie. Rex had a reputation for watching out for everyone under his charge. Coric yawned again, settling in comfortably against the too large pillow. "You know, if I still had my armor, I'd ask you to clean that, too."

"Don't push it, Coric," he said, gruffly, but his actions belied his tone. He tightened the sheets on either side around the exhausted clone. "You need anything else? I can get you a plate from the mess."

He yawned again hugely, obviously struggling to keep his eyes open. "Wait. You'd really get me food?"

Rex sighed. "Yes, you hungry?"

"Nope. Not at all."

"You sure? You might get hungry later-"

Coric chuckled. "I'm fine, but I appreciate you fussin' like a nuna hen."

"Di'kut," Rex shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. He turned to leave.

"Rex?"

The five oh first captain paused by the door, not turning around.

"I'm sorry about before," the senior medic said, his voice quiet, "in medbay. Whatever is between you and Commander Tano… it's none of my business."

Rex took a deep breath, still not facing Coric. He paused for a long time before speaking. "She saved my life on TriLuna. Anything we might have had-" He shook his head and turned to leave again.

"Rex."

"Coric, you should be sleeping."

"The last bunk is open."

Rex stopped. He pivoted halfway around and looked at the empty bunk.

He hadn't been able to sleep in the enormous Kazzie room. He always bunked with the men.

Last night, in that huge Kazzie room, he felt _alone_. He was dreading another night there.

"Chopper is on the top bunk," Coric said, unable to suppress another yawn. "Offer still stands if you want to clean my armor. " He rolled over onto his side, and was out.

Rex stripped out of his armor, stashing it into the chest at the foot of the spare bunk. Fatigue was rapidly dragging him down. He heard the quiet, steady sound of Coric's breathing and in seconds he was out. Hours later, he woke up to hear the rapidfire whispering of clones trying to be quiet and failing miserably.

"Took him long enough. I expected him here last night."

"Shhh... they both look tired."

"Trust me. He's not asleep."

"Fives," Rex greeted, without bothering to open his eyes.

"You enjoy my Kazzie drawings?" the ARC drawled out.

"They were anatomically intimidating."

Fives' laughter rang out. Rex had almost drifted off back to sleep, listening to the reassuring sound of armor plates being shed and stowed. But, he felt two fingers lightly touch his bare shoulder.

"Glad you're here," Chopper quickly said, and before Rex could respond, the other clone had disappeared into the top bunk.

Rex puzzled over the unusual display of affection from Chopper, and wondered if he'd meant more than just bunking back with them again.

"Yeah," Fives echoed in the dark room, "welcome back, Rex."

# # #


	5. Chapter 5 Cloak and Dagger

**Rex**

**Chapter Five**

"Wake up, vod."

Echo felt sedatives pulling heavily at him. He immediately attempted to say: 'Fek off' but it came out as barely coherent 'Foff.'

He heard an amused chuckle. "Echo, open your eyes."

He resisted, keeping his eyes tightly squeezed shut.

"Come on, vod. You're getting lazy. Giving us ARCs a bad name."

He sighed, and struggled against the haze dragging him down. "Fives?"

"Yeah, vod. You're out of the tank."

Echo blinked several times against a light that was too harsh. He was finally able to focus on Fives. He frowned, studying his brother critically for a long moment. "Tired." Ouch. It hurt to talk. He licked his lips. They were too dry. Gah. Even his tongue felt like it had no moisture.

Fives nodded. "I'm sure you're tired. You've been in the tank for almost five days, and Kix had you in emergency surgery for-"

Echo put a hand forestalling any more explanation. His limbs felt heavy and it was hard to move. He wasn't particularly interested in the details. It was enough he was alive. "Not me." He coughed. Gah. His throat was burning. "You."

His vod laughed, the sound one of relief and amusement. "It's because I've been here, di'kut, waiting for you to wake up."

Echo tried to lift his head, but it weighed about four hundred kilo so he gave up. He settled for looking around from where he was lying flat on his back. The place didn't look right, and it definitely smelled _wrong_. "Where?" Even getting the one word out was an effort.

"On a Kazzie ship. We made it off Darkknell. Kix said if you can keep water down, we can head back to our quarters."

Water? OK, that sounded fekkin' glorious. He didn't particularly care about the sleeping arrangements. However, Fives seemed enthusiastic about the whole thing so he tried to muster up some enthusiasm. "Sounds... good." Speaking made him cough again. His throat had never been this dry before. Ever.

He watched as Fives disappeared somewhere into the not-normal medbay. The place was too big. And, the walls were the wrong color. He'd woken up in the land of giants.

Ah. Right. He was assaulted with the memory of taking on the enormous simians. Kazzies.

Fives returned and offered a welcome distraction from the battle memories. Echo eagerly opened his mouth as his brother offered him water. The liquid had a slightly fruity taste, but he didn't care. He would have eagerly sucked down hyperdrive fluid. He sighed with relief. Feeling slightly revived, he tried to piece together his last coherent memories. "The gas? Everyone OK?" Speaking that many words at once made him cough again.

Fives patiently offered him another small sip of water. "You saved our shebs when you shut off the cryseefa, vod. We'd be dead if it wasn't for you." He jerked a thumb backwards. "A few troopers... they... uh... still sucked in some lungfuls of the stuff." His face twisted up, and he looked trouble for a moment. "Some worse than others. But, most of what we're dealing with here is normal battle stuff." At Echo's nod, he offered him another small sip of water then continued on with his explanation. He gave a general wave around the medbay. "The ship is fully equipped with bacta tanks. You've been in one for days." He pointed to a curtained off section of the medbay. "Generals Skywalker and Kenobi are over there. Kix is checking on them now. The Jedi Generals are all still down for the count. I mean _all_ of them."

"Who's in charge, then? Appo? Tano? Offee?" Echo frowned, thinking through the command logistics.

Fives jerked a thumb toward a medbay bunk nearby. "Appo is out, too." His voice dropped slightly with a low note of sympathy. "He had the shebs beaten out of him by a Kazzie. And, he wasn't doing too good before then. Had a tough time of it in the dungeons from what I hear. Going to take him some time to recover." He ticked off his fingers. "Commander Offee is with General Unduli. Not sure what is going on with Commander Tano." He cocked his head to the side in puzzlement. "She's locked herself in her quarters. She comes down here once in a while to check on the Generals, but that's about it. Maybe she's meditating or something. You know Jedi." He shrugged, as if the statement explained everything. "So, it's been Rex, Cody and Ko running the ship."

Echo nodded with approval. He had nothing against Jedi. Not really. But, he'd seen less screw-ups with clones than with Jedi. Whether it was better training, better genetics, or Jedi being caught in a war where they didn't belong, he didn't know. However, he was confident clones being in a charge was a good turn of events.

Content for the moment with the update he'd gotten from Fives, he stretched experimentally, looking down at his bare left shoulder. Last time he'd seen it, a Kazzie spear had been impaled straight through him. Now, there was a red puckered scar, clearly showing the impressive size of the shaft that had nicked his lung. He reached his right hand up and traced the outline of the scar, remembering the fierce stabbing pain. He looked up and noticed Fives watching him intensely.

"That was too close, vod," Fives said, quietly. "Kix was barely able to bring you back."

Echo pushed away the memories of his time at Darkknell. Ignoring the stiffness in his limbs, he clasped Fives arm in the traditional Mando'a handshake. Ow. OK, that hurt. His fellow ARC tolerated the gesture for only a moment, before releasing and pulling him bare chest to armor in a brotherly embrace. He was careful in how he lifted Echo, holding him against his chest with incredible tenderness that belied his great strength.

The strain and toll of the past two weeks was evident in his voice. Echo rested against Fives and closed his eyes, enjoying the brief moment of affection.

Kix was standing behind Fives' shoulder watching with a look of amusement. "Always knew there was something funny about you two."

Echo laughed, not bothered by the teasing from the medic.

"I need to check your vitals, and then you can go," Kix said.

Echo patiently sat through the exam, trying not to wince as the medic probed at the wound on his shoulder and the one across his abdomen. Both were tender, but it was _better_. There was still an odd sort of burning sensation in the wound sight at his shoulder. He didn't mention it to Kix. He wanted to get the fek out of medbay.

Kix drew himself up and Echo knew this was when he'd get the full on medic-in-charge lecture. He tried hard not to roll-his-eyes and look like he was paying attention. "You may go, Echo, _however, _you are off-duty and confined to quarters. I am only releasing you because I am sick of Fives hanging out in my medbay at all hours. You are to rest and stay in your bunk, except for using the refresher, until you are medically cleared otherwise. Understood?"

_Blah. Blah. Blah._

Nod your head.

_Say, yes, Kix_.

But, he didn't say anything because he yawned hugely instead. Kix raised up an eyebrow.

Echo shrugged. "I'm already so tired. I'm going to hit my bunk and stay there."

The medic nodded satisfied and started to walk away. He stopped and turned back. He indicated Fives. "You might not listen to me, but I know this one will fuss over you more than I ever could anyway." Having gotten the last word in anyway he walked away and turned back toward his other patients.

Echo grimaced. Kix was right.

"Slowly," Fives said as they made their way through the pale green corridors, "that's it. Take it slow."

Echo turned toward his brother. "If I go any slower, we'll be moving _backwards_. Come on, Fives. I'd like to make it to our room before we dock in Corrie." He meant it as a teasing jest, but he felt the slight ripple of tension go through his brother. Echo frowned. "What's going on?"

"Nothing you need to worry about. You're off duty."

"_Fives."_

"We've got teams working on the problem," Fives snorted. "The entire Combat Engineer Battalion from the 501st. Trust me, they're _working_ on it. You just need to rest, alright?"

Echo just frowned all the more severely. He was _not_ going to sleep. No fekkin' way. His mind raced through all the possibilities as they made their way— much too slowly— back to their quarters. Gah. What kind of problem required the attention of the entire Engineer Battalion? Kriff. That was a lot of engineers.

# # #

"I have to head on-duty for my shift. You sure you're good?"

Echo rolled his eyes. Kix was right. Having Fives hover over him was worse than any medic. And, then Fives had told him both Kix and Coric were rooming with them. Gah. He wouldn't be able to get away with _anything_. It was like they had planned the whole fekkin' thing. "Will you just get out of here? I'm not hungry. I'm not thirsty. I can make it to the refresher. I'll be fine. _Go_."

The ARC nodded and still looked unconvinced. "Alright." He grabbed his bucket off his bunk. "You'll comm me if you need anything?" He glanced at his chrono. "Chopper is coming off his shift in a quarter rotation, so you won't be alone too long. And, then Rex another quarter rotation after that-"

"We've been through this all already," Echo pointed imperiously to the door, "out!" He blew out a sigh of relief once his vod left and he had the room to himself. He wondered if he was that overbearing when Fives was injured. It wasn't possible, was it?

He settled into his pillow, yawning again. These Kazzies bunks were curiously comfortable. The bunk itself was oversized and the firmness of the mattress should have made it uncomfortably hard, but somehow it felt soothing as it cradled his tender muscles. He wanted to scavenge the room for a datapad. Maybe he could figure out the mystery project Fives wouldn't tell him about. He felt his eyes dragging shut on their own and knew he still sedatives were lingering in his system.

_I__'__ll close my eyes for a moment and then see about finding a datapad._

# # #

He awoke hours later and heard foot steps crossing the room. He immediately recognized the quiet tread.

"Chopper," he murmured, yawning and opening his eyes a crack.

"Hey Echo," the other trooper paused by his bunk, "I didn't mean to wake you."

The ARC pushed up onto one elbow, careful to avoid putting pressure on his recently healed wounds. His shoulder still felt... odd. He ignored it and turned his attention back to Chopper.

His lips quirked with amusement. If Chopper had wanted to sneak by, Echo wouldn't have heard him. The scarred trooper had the impressive light-footedness of an ARC. However, he was willing to play along. "It's alright. I was just waking up anyway." Something was going on, and now his curiosity was piqued. Chopper wouldn't have woken him up without good reason. He pointed to the datapad Chopper held in one hand, a complex diagram clearly visible on the screen. "What do you have there?"

"Ah, well, I don't know, Echo. You're off-duty."

"You wouldn't have brought it if you didn't want me to take a look at it." Echo carefully scooted into a sitting position, leaning back against the wall. He patted the space next to him. "Give it over."

The scarred trooper removed his boots, neatly stacking them side-by-side under the bunk, before sliding next to Echo. "The engineers are completely stuck. The Captain asked me to assist. He said I was known for my 'out of the box thinking.' They're having an issue with the phase power converters. It's going unstable on them and they can't figure out why. But, I haven't been able to solve it either." His brown eyes widened hopefully. "You're the only other person I know who thinks like I do."

"Kix told me I wasn't to leave my bunk," he accepted the datapad with a huge grin, nudging Chopper playfully, trying to avoid a wince as he accidentally jarred his shoulder. "I'm on my bunk." He stared down at the diagram and his eyes widened. "Oh fek, Chopper, is that what I think it is?"

The scarred trooper nodded. "It is. Captain's idea. Think you can get it to work?"

# # #

Rex scratched tiredly at the back of his neck as he walked toward his quarters. He was aware that he was dragging his feet. But, he couldn't seem to find the energy to lift his legs properly. It was the middle of the fekkin' night, and there was no one around. So, what did it matter if he was adding yet more scuffs to his armored boots because his muscles were too sluggish to move properly? They were just two days out from Coruscant, and one of the many things on his huge shabla list of worries was ensuring they didn't get their shebs blown up the moment they dropped out of hyperspace. He _had _a plan, but the engineers couldn't seem to adapt the Kazzie technology to make it work. He blew out a sigh. Had he rescued all of these men just so they could die when they were so close to finally getting home?

He jammed the access control to get into his room, and immediately noticed the lights were on. It was late and he would've thought the others would be asleep-

_Whoa._

It took his brain a moment to register the voices and laughter from just inside the room. Rex pulled up short to avoid stepping on Trooper Zinc sitting just inside the door.

"Excuse me, Captain," Zinc said, sliding slightly to the side.

Rex stepped in and the door swished shut behind him. But, he couldn't take another step. The room was completely packed. Every available floorspace was covered. With troopers.

His brow furrowed as he took in the scene. They all looked to him as one and conversation ceased. He felt the shift in mood as the troopers took note of his presence. He could _feel_ the collective gears working in their minds, and knew in the next second they'd be jumping to their feet and saluting. He snapped up a hand to stay the movement. "At ease."

He looked around the room and immediately spied the two instigators. "Chopper, _Echo_." He nodded his chin briefly to welcome the ARC back. "You two want to explain what is going on here?"

Echo grinned and held up a datapad. "A cloaking device? Captain, I'm impressed."

Rex sighed. "Don't be. We can't seem to be able to get it work."

Zinc held up his own datapad and handed it over to Rex. "That's not true, Captain. Echo figured out the problem with the phase converters. See? We had to adjust the differential mass analysis. Once we did, all the transit shifts stabilized."

A second engineer, Winder, jumped up just as eagerly. He couldn't seem to get words out of his mouth fast enough. He tripped over the two engineers nearest him, Tucker and Jamie, and would've fallen if not for the steadying hands of a fourth engineer, Toma. "Captain," he thrust his datapad into Rex's hands, "Zinc is right! See? I did all the calculations here on my 'pad and even allowing for the technological differences here on the Kaz'harian ship, we can compensate for the irregularities. We still just need to shift-"

Rex put up a hand to stop the chaingun fire blast of words.

Chopper snorted quietly, and Echo knew exactly what that particular look from the Captain meant. _Bottom line it for me._

"We have a few more details we are hammering out, but yes, it will work," the ARC said confidently.

The 501st Captain took the pad from Winder and studied it carefully. The engineer was so excited to be handing over his work he actually bounced from foot to foot. "How much more time you need?" Rex asked, addressing Winder directly.

The engineer looked like a flying Brezak caught in a LAAT spotlight. "Uhhhh..."

Rex looked at his chrono. He needed to sleep.

"Three more hours, maybe less," Echo said confidently, from his position on the bunk.

"Alright, then, carry on. I'll get food and caf sent down," he said, and spoke several quiet crisp commands into his wrist comm. He then navigated carefully over the overabundance of engineers and made his way to his enormously oversized Kazzie storage locker at the base of his bunk. The troopers parted respectfully in his path to make room and he quickly shed his armor plates, placing them in the locker. He had enough room in there for four sets of armor. He disappeared into the refresher, which was thankfully free of engineers. He emerged a few minutes later, feeling relaxed but no less tired after a quick shower. He stepped through the gauntlet once again and made his way to his bunk, his chest still damp and glistening from the shower and wearing only his bodysuit bottom.

A few minutes later, Trapper appeared at the door balancing several plates of fruit and a carafe of caf. He looked none too pleased at played servant droid for the boys from the five oh first in the middle of the night. As soon as he departed, Zinc chuckled. "Sir, you did that on purpose didn't you?"

Rex gestured to the engineer to toss him a piece of fruit, which he easily caught. He bit into the food, swiping at a piece of juice that dripped at his chin with the back of his hand. "Not sure what you mean, Trooper."

"We all thought you hadn't noticed that he was treating us like a bunch of shinies," Tucker chimed in.

"Nothing escapes the notice of our Captain," Jamie said with absolute confidence.

Rex said nothing, finishing up his fruit. He chucked the core at the large recycler in the corner. It cycled open and the core vanished with a whoosh and flash of light. Rex considered eating another piece of fruit, but decided he was too tired. He listened to the quiet hum of voices as the team worked together on the phase conversation issue, exchanging ideas back and forth. He rested his head back against the wall. He fell asleep sitting up, a skill troopers learned on, comforted by the sound and company of his brothers. Sometime during the night, Echo and the engineering team solved the phase conversion issue. Winder silently saluted the Captain as he quietly left the room, pride in the five oh first evident in every line of his body.

# # #

_A/N: Rex, Cody and the legions are getting closer and closer to Coruscant. What changes await them after being away for so long?_

_Thank you to everyone who submitted clone names. You may notice your names are starting to appear in the story._


	6. Chapter 6 The Darkness Within

_Revised: January 10, 2016. Added some more tension to the scene between Rex and Ahsoka in the elevator. _

**Rex II**

**Chapter 6**

"I'm heading out for a run," Chopper said, after the last engineer had left. "Need to burn off a little energy before I sleep."

Mmmwwwwph," Echo mumbled, not having any problems with excess energy. He was too exhausted to form any actual words. He didn't even hear Chopper leave the room. Fives arrived back in the room at the end of his shift. Echo snapped awake instantly, his body attuned to the presence of his closest brother. "Hey," he murmured, not even bothering to open his eyes. He could sense Fives was near.

"Sleep," Fives said, opening his footlocker and sliding his pauldron off his broad shoulders. His voice was both stern and gruffly affectionate at the same time. He came over and rustled Echo's hair, "or we'll both have the wrath of Kix upon us."

As if saying his name alone had the power to summon him, Kix entered. "I heard that, Fives." He tapped his medbag. "There's an extra long hypo in here with your name on it."

Fives snorted.

Kix made a threatening move as if it to open the medbag.

"OK, OK," Fives said holding up his hand in mock surrender, "I know better than to mess with a medic."

Kix gave a quiet 'hmmph' of satisfaction.

Despite his bone-weary fatigue, Echo chuckled softly at the interaction.

Fives looked down at Fives fondly and also grinned at their good-natured teasing of the medic, before he resumed shucking his armor. He stripped down in record time in the way only he could and headed off to the shower. Kix came over and perched himself carefully on the edge of Echo's bed. "As long as you're awake..."

"I'm not really…" protested Echo, trying to ward off another physical exam, but Kix was already taking readings. He examined where Echo had taken a slugthrower round, and then prodded with his fingers at the puckered jagged scar from the spear. Echo drew back sharply.

Kix frowned. "After such a long submersion in bacta, I wouldn't still the wound to be this tender."

"I'm exhausted, Kix," Echo complained, "my reactions are off."

"Still, you should come by medbay tomorrow. I need to run tests."

Echo frowned. He didn't have time. Several of the engineers wanted his opinion on an issue they were having calibrating the ion drive. Fine, though. He'd tell Kix he was coming by and then make up some excuse not to come by. He was rooming with two of the GAR's finest medics. They could do the exam in the room.

He smiled in the same way he used to do when he was trying to talk Fives into something. It was a good thing his vod had retreated to the refresher. The move had stopped working on him about ten missions ago, after that screw-up on Ord Biniir.

"Absolutely," Echo nodded, "you're in charge."

Kix shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder." He started getting stripping down for the shower, and then turned back to Echo. His concern was clearly etched on his face. "If any new symptoms develop, comm me right away."

"Uh huh," Echo agreed, already half asleep again, not even remembering what he was agreeing to and what he was supposed to be calling Kix about. His eyes slid shut.

He drifted off and woke up to Fives' voice.

"Echo, what did Kix say?"

Echo peered an eye open and got an eyeful of Fives, who was standing directly in front of his bunk. His brother would do anything to get a rise out of him. But, he wasn't up for his brother's antics at the moment. He wanted to sleep.

Echo had often pushed his body to the limit on missions, but this fatigue felt deeper than usual. He knew he was still recovering but something felt off. He felt guilty for not mentioning it to Kix, but if he did he would've ended up back in medbay and he'd just gotten out of there.

"Echo?" Fives asked, concerned, kneeling down next to his brother and peering more closely at him.

Echo shifted so Fives couldn't see him anymore, rolling over to face the wall and stifling down a gasp of pain. "He said... 'm alright." He immediately fell into an exhausted slumber.

# # #

Cody and Rex worked non-stop through the day in the briefing room, continuing their discussions in a secluded table in the far corner of the mess. There was still so much to do before Coruscant and they could both feel the minutes ticking down before they dropped out of hyperspace. They had to have their cover stories perfect and plan for every contingency. Exhausted and needing a change of pace, Rex suggested they head to his quarters in the command wing.

There was no place to sit in the oversized Kazzie room, so Rex and Cody sat on the floor with their backs up against the wall. A plate of fruit and a pot of caf sat between them, with flimsis and datapads stacking up on the floor around them.

Cody bit into another fruit, needing the rush of glucose to keep his brain fueled and his body going a little longer. He couldn't take any more Kazzie caf at the moment. He gestured around the quarters, which showed no signs of habitation. "Heard you're not sleeping here."

Rex looked up from where he was studying a datapad, his face lit up by the blue screen. "You heard right." He didn't offer any explanation for his actions. He turned his attention back to the pad.

Cody went back to chewing thoughtfully. "Couldn't sleep?"

Rex snorted. "Not a wink. Hate this room."

"You sleeping now?"

"Yes," Rex sounded somewhat amused Cody was asking about his sleeping habits. He set down the datapad. "You?"

"Not really. No."

Rex studied Cody for a long moment. He looked for a moment like he was going to further the discussion, prompt his vod to talk. The two men regarded each other steadily before each turning away and picking up their datapads again.

No. Clones didn't talk about such things.

"We're going to need someone to contact Coruscant when we drop out of hyperspace," Rex said, his face once again lit up by the blue screen.

Cody nodded in agreement, reviewing their plans, contingencies and scenarios. "Agreed. A friendly voice that will catch their attention right away so they don't blow our shebs out of space."

"The commando droids have imitated our voices so many times. Since the rest of us are listed as either dead, AWOL or captured, it is probably not a good idea for one of us clones to initiate contact," Rex looked thoughtful. "However, a Jedi might carry more weight. General Kenobi would've been perfect for this. He can read emotions and knows exactly what to say."

"Unfortunately, the great negotiator is still out of commission," Cody said. "What about Commander Tano?"

Rex paused, considering then nodded. "Agreed. She's a known favorite of the Jedi Council."

"Alright, then we're done here," Cody said, standing up and stretching, bones cracking and popping. "We'll reconvene in the morning. You'll talk to Commander Tano?"

Rex nodded and left the room.

Cody stood and followed him out, glancing at his chrono. 0200. Not bad. More sleep than he got most nights. Not that he expected to really be able to sleep anyway. He sighed and headed back to his quarters, trying to ignore the faint lingering smell of Barriss that clung to the room.

# # #

No one on the ship seemed to need Ahsoka. No one except... Appo.

After what happened with Rex, she'd gone back to her quarters and stayed there. She knew she was hiding. But, she was frustrated and angry and not sure what do with the terrible jumble of emotions swirling around inside of her. She felt alone, even on a ship of thousands and the feeling frustrated her even further.

Fortunately, her quarters were large enough to allow her to work out, so she'd run through all of her katas. She'd worked herself into exhaustion, and then decided to do all of them again. Muscles trembling with fatigue, she was just able to get herself in the shower and wash off before she collapsed on the bed.

She awoke to a crisp knock on the door. She leapt up and immediately grabbed her lightsaber from under her pillow. It was the first solid uninterrupted sleep she'd gotten since before the Battle of Kaz'haria. It took a long moment to identify the unfamiliar surroundings and get her bearings.

"Commander Tano, are you alright in there?" the knock at the door came again.

She went to the door and opened it. Fullshot, who had joined the the five oh first a few months before the Battle of Kaz'haria, held out a plate of fruit and a carafe of liquid. "Commander Tano? You missed breakfast. Captain asked me to bring this by."

Ahsoka blinked, still felling completely out of it. "Breakfast?" she mumbled thickly, feeling slow and dim-witted. "Um... what time is it?"

"0800, sir."

0800? Force! She hadn't slept that late in years. "Thank you, Fullshot." She managed a smile, and the trooper's entire countenance lit up. He saluted and left.

She couldn't squash a sense of disappointment Rex hadn't brought the food by himself, selfish as it was, but was still pleased he was keeping such close tabs on her that he'd noticed she'd missed a meal. Rex had always been good with the small details. It was one of the qualities she lov-

She sighed and choose a spot in the center of the room to eat. She sat cross-legged and ate the simple meal. The Kazzie fruit wasn't bad once you got used the different flavor. She opened the carafe of liquid and gave it a tentative sniff. It wasn't caf. Of course, Rex knew she was not a caf drinker. A heady aroma came off the dark liquid. It was surprisingly sweet and tasted just like the Kazzie fruit. Juice.

Her eyes widened as she took the first sip. After months in captivity, the taste seemed like incredible luxury. She closed her eyes and took another long sip, letting the taste rush over her taste buds. She kept drinking, gulping down the sweet, refreshing liquid. She could feel her entire body sighing with pleasure as she quickly drained the entire carafe and held the empty container in her hands.

No, they couldn't be together. But, Rex was making it very clear he would always be there for her and watching out for her. She took a deep breath, forcing down a strong swell of emotions. She blinked back tears that she refused to shed. She considered exercising herself into exhaustion again, but decided to leave the room.

She weighed her options. She could head to the bridge or go to the medbay to check on her master. She'd been ordered to rest as much as possible by Coric to recover from her time in the dungeons and the labs. She knew Cody, Rex and Ko were running everything with crisp clone efficiency. She was curious, of course, about the details of what they were doing but also didn't want to give off the impression she did not trust their skills and competencies. She knew they would come to her if they needed her assistance.

She headed to medbay to check on her master and General Kenobi. Ahsoka greeted Coric upon entering. Kix seemed to be off-duty and she was glad the other medic was getting some much needed rest. She headed over to her master's bedside and picked up his hand.

Skyguy already looks better.

She smiled with relief, and squeezed his hand lightly to let her Master know she was here. He did not acknowledge the movement, but she felt better all the same. She stayed for several more minutes, talking to him softly and reassuring him all was well. She then visited with Master Kenobi for a while doing the same. She was about to leave when she felt someone watching her.

"Hello commander."

"Appo!"

The clone commander smiled, his face still showing signs of pain and fatigue from his captivity. However, his pleasure at seeing her again was unmistakable. "I am glad to see you are well."

"When did you get out of bacta?"

Coric walked over and stood next to the commander's bed, arms folded across his chest. "This morning. He is supposed to be resting."

The five oh first commander scowled fiercely, shooting the medic a dark look at being interrupted. He glanced back over at Ahsoka, as if pleading for help. It was such a typical clone move, yet so atypical of the fierce clone commander who'd defended her time and time again in the dungeons, the Jedi padawan burst out laughing.

Appo startled, as if making someone laugh with pleasure was a new experience for him. But, then his face creased up in a pleased smile again. It was a good look for him and took away all the fierceness from his demeanor.

"I won't keep him long, I promise," Ahsoka said, walking across the medbay quickly and standing next to Appo's bed. "A quick visit, Coric. Please?" She took the five oh first commander's hand in hers, just as she had with both the Jedi Generals. However, there was no mistaking the huge rush of pleasure the clone took at the gesture. "The commander and I were locked in the same prison cell on Darkknell." She winked at Appo. She felt another rush of pleasure off of the clone. "We have a bit of a history together, don't we?"

Coric unfolded his arms and pulled his medical scanner off his belt. He took some quick readings. "Fine. A short visit." He walked off, muttering something under his breath about: "Jedi always wanting to break all the rules…"

Ahsoka returned her attention to Appo and noticed he was looking at her intently. She felt slightly uncomfortable under such scrutiny, but then reminded herself it was his natural personality. He looked down at their interlocked hands and smiled again.

Oh.

She suddenly realized her error. "Are you thirsty? I can get you water. I can check with Coric to see if you are allowed-" She withdrew her hand as if making to move away to get the offered drink.

The five oh first commander frowned at the lose of physical contact. Ahsoka felt immediately guilty, feeling his profound sense of loss intently. Unlike Rex, who was extremely adept at shielding his emotions, Appo projected everything he was feeling so strongly it hit her like a physical blow. She felt something else he was projecting; this was the first time in his life someone had touched him in affection. Every other contact he'd had in short life had been either a clinical touch or a physical blow.

The thought hit her with such an impact she sucked her breath in sharply. "Are you alright, commander?" Appo looked at her, care and concern immediately apparent in his eyes.

Ahsoka stared back at him, wondering how men who had never known affection in their lives could still show empathy for others. She wondered how much longer it would last. How much longer until the war wiped all shreds of humanity out of men like Appo and they were left as soldiers who reacted without feeling? And, what would it take to drive them over the edge?

"Yes, I-" she shook her head, trying to voice what she was feeling. She looked at Appo, taking a deep breath. He held her gaze, his brown eyes looking into hers. She could still see an innocence there, the same thing she saw when she looked into the gaze of other clones, but there was something else, too. There was a certain hardness to his gaze now that hadn't been there before. He was changing. His experiences were changing him and his eyes were becoming darker. How much longer until she looked into the eyes of the clones and she could no longer see innocence at all?

The door of the medbay swished open. "Coric, have you seen Commander Tano?"

They both looked over at the new arrival, the voice unmistakable. She felt another flood of emotions come over Appo.

Apprehension. Anger. Fear. Respect and hate both mixed together.

She sucked in another breath and tried to tame down her own swirling tide of emotions.

"Rex," she said, turning to meet the new arrival.

Rex walked briskly over and stood at parade rest in front of them. Ahsoka breathed a sigh of relief she had extracted her hand.

"Commander Appo, it is good to see you are on the mend, sir," Rex said, his voice crisp and polite.

Coric called out a greeting from where he was treating a patient across the medbay. "Captain."

Appo studied Rex for a long moment.

The five oh first commander studied Rex. "I was not aware you had been reinstated into the GAR, Captain." There was no mistaking the coldness in his voice.

There was a flash of emotion across Rex's face, before he quickly suppressed it, as he refused to be baited. "You are correct in your assumptions, Commander. We are maintaining comm silence. Rank corrections will have to be dealt with upon our return to Coruscant." His voice was calm and portrayed absolute confidence he would be restored to his proper rank. Ahsoka knew from her conversations with Rex, he was not as confident as he appeared in this conversation. However, he was not willing to betray any weakness in front of Appo. "I would brief you further, however it is my understand you are not on duty. I do not wish to disturb your rest, sir." Rex turned his attention back to Ahsoka, effectively dismissing the other clone. "Commander Tano, we require your assistance in the briefing room."

Ahsoka smiled, pleased she was needed and that Rex came to ask her in person. "Absolutely, Rex." She forgot to use his title, and felt a flare of instant irritation from Appo at her familiarity with the other clone. She glanced over at Appo and saw him watching the two of them with his intense dark scowl back in place. Any hints of warmth and pleasure were now gone from his countenance.

Rex made a gracious nod of his chin to Ahsoka allowing her to walk before him.

"Thank you for sending breakfast down to me, Rex. It was a pleasant surprise," Ahsoka said, as they walked out of medbay together. She wanted to make sure she acknowledged his thoughtful gesture.

"Just doing my job, Commander."

Behind her she felt another huge spike of irritation and anger. She frowned in puzzlement.

"Everything alright?" Rex turned to her, concern clear in his voice, just as the door swished closed. She felt another spike of emotion from Appo.

She took a deep breath. They were now in the corridor and walking toward the lift that would take them to the bridge. "Yes. Just a little worried about Appo."

They headed into the next corridor. Rex cocked his head to the side. "Appo? What's wrong with him?" He snorted, then laughed at his own joke as they walked side-by-side. "Other than the obvious, of course."

Ahsoka laughed, too. She glanced over at Rex and saw his eyes shining with amusement. She felt terrible laughing at Appo's expense but was also grateful there was no awkwardness between them. She knew it was because Rex was handling it so well. She hoped he truly was handling it as well as he seemed, and it was not all a facade. Since he was good at blocking his emotions, she had no way of knowing for sure. She looked over at Rex again, and noticed the amusement had died on his face. She was taking too long to respond.

He frowned. "Did something happen with Appo?" He made a sound deep in his throat. He lowered his voice. "He might be a commander. But, he is no Cody. There is something about him-"

She placed a placating hand on his arm. "No, Rex. Nothing like that." She felt a twinge of guilt, feeling like she was withholding part of the truth. It was something like that. She sighed, trying to explain. "He seems... mentally off-set after his time in the dungeons-"

"Oh, that's fekkin' great," Rex shook his head.

"Rex," Ahsoka admonished.

"Mentally off-set?" he snorted again. They walked into the lift together.

She was relieved to see there was no one else in the lift so they could continue their discussion in private. "I probably could have worded that better." She tried to word it in such a way it would not damage Appo in Rex's eyes. She didn't know what would happen when they returned to Coruscant, but if Rex and Appo had to continue to work together in the future, it would not do to have them at each other's throats. "Traumatic experiences can leave us… vulnerable. Even hardened soldiers, such as yourselves, can't be expected to come out of experiences like this without mental scars."

Rex still looked skeptical. "You're saying Appo has mental scars?"

"On some level, yes. They take time to heal, like any other scars. Some fade. Some don't go away completely. They will always be there."

"What does it have to do with you?" There was no mistaking the displeasure in Rex's voice. He fairly bristled when it came to the topic of Appo.

"The commander and I shared the same prison cell for two months on Darkknell."

Rex was shocked into silence. He closed himself off so completely emotionally Ahsoka could not get any kind of reading on him. She looked at him, trying to get some kind of reaction.

"Rex?" she prompted, "say something."

"Two months," he muttered, as if still trying to comprehend that she and Appo had been locked up in a small space for that amount of time together. He took off his helmet, and shook his head. His features were in anguish. "When we were on TriLuna, we were only together in that cave for a matter of days..."

Ahsoka's eyes widened. "It was nothing like that!"

When he looked at her hurt, his eyes were so full of hurt, she had no idea how to react. He leaned his head back against the wall of the lift and stared at the ceiling as if looking for guidance, before looking back at her again. "Day and night with Appo for two months?" he whispered again.

"Would it have mattered _who_ it was?" Ahsoka challenged. "What if it was Coric?"

Rex rounded on her. "Yes, it would have been much better if it was Coric. Anyone but Appo!"

"What do you have against Appo?" Ahsoka shouted back at him.

"He stole the Legion from me!" Rex was aware he yelling, and was glad they were in the privacy of the lift. He was also aware on some level he was taking emotions and circumstances out on Ahsoka that had nothing to do with her. The lift suddenly stopped at the bridge and the door swished open. Rex jammed his bucket on. "We have work to do." Rex said, his voice tight-lipped.

Rex's body language was taut and rigid.

Ahsoka took a deep breath to compose herself and followed him out onto the bridge.

# # #

_A/N: Appo is awake. Mmmm... now things get interesting._

_A note about Appo's rank. I mentioned this before in Rex I, but it probably bears repeating. This story was started in August 2010, years before "Darkness on Umbara" aired. At that time, Appo was still a Commander in canon. Since I started the story with him as a commander, I wasn't going to suddenly make him a sergeant. Not sure how they were going to explain such a wild jump in rank on the show. Commander is the highest rank in the fleet a clone can hold and sergeant is the lowest rank of an officer, (other than Cody's rank which is Clone Marshall Commander.) Such a wild swing in rank in such a short amount of time is... ah... unusual. I would have been curious to see what explanation the show would have come up with to explain such an oddity._


	7. Chapter 7 The Brink of Collapse

Revised: 5/30/15 Revised Ahsoka's inner monologue with her thoughts about her place as a Jedi now.

**Rex II**

**Chapter 7**

As tired as he was Echo was not able to stay asleep. His body felt off. Wrong somehow in a way he couldn't identify. His pulse was racing and every sound was magnified. He could hear Fives breathe as he slept and even the normally reassuring sound seemed overly loud. He reached up to massage his aching temples and had to clamp his jaw shut to stifle down a yelp of pain.

_Maybe I should go to medbay and get this checked out._

But, he knew how cautious Kix and Coric could be. If he set foot back in their domain he would spend the rest of the trip trapped in their clutches. He wanted to work, like everybody else was doing. Clones were not bred to sit idle. He wasn't allowed to resume full-duty, but at least he could feel he was contributing _something_.

He was just having some success drifting off again when Chopper came back from his run. He entered quietly and shed his armor with little sound. Chopper always moved with stealth. But the sounds still seemed amplified. Echo sighed in frustration.

Chopper stopped, cocking his head to the side and made his way over to Echo. He knelt down by his bunk.

"Echo?" Chopper whispered, his voice so soft it could barely be heard above the breathing of the sleeping clones. His eyes met his brother's in the dark, asking if he was OK. He cocked his head back toward Fives and Kix, the unspoken gesture asking if he should go wake one or both of them up.

Echo quickly shook his head, and then winced.

Chopper immediately frowned, too perceptive not to notice the tiniest detail even if the dark.

"I'm fine," Echo mouthed.

The scarred trooper still looked unhappy and glanced back uncertainly at the other two inhabitants in the room. He looked at Echo again.

Echo shook his head. "Let them sleep," he whispered under his breath. "I'm just sore."

Chopper hesitated. He looked unconvinced, but finally nodded and moved away. He stripped down and headed off into the refresher. A few minutes later, Rex came in late from the night shift and also quickly shed his armor before sitting down heavily on his bunk and sighing. A moment later though, he could feel the Captain was studying him curiously.

"Echo?" Rex said softly, crossing the room and standing over his bunk.

"Captain, I'm fine. Kix already checked me out," he was touched by the concern of the others, but fek, a vod couldn't get any sleep with all of this brotherly love._  
_

"OK."

Rex headed off to the shower and Echo heard him speaking softly with Chopper. Normally, he could sleep through routine chatter, but he couldn't remember his senses ever feeling so... gah... wired?

"I have a shave kit," Rex was saying softly to Chopper. "Go ahead and use it first."

"Didn't you just have the kit?"

"Yes," Rex sounded exasperated. "Groups of vode from the five oh first keep insisting upon giving me their slots. I have it until morning." He sounded completely perplexed as to why he would be treated differently from anyone else.

Chopper chuckled. "I have noticed your name being mentioned a lot in the mess and the gym."

"I don't get it."

"No, you wouldn't."

Chopper left his explanation at that and Echo soon heard the telltale scraping of stubborn stubble being removed. Knowing sleep was impossible, he lay awake and simply listened. His hearing was so sensitive he knew when the razor passed to Rex, because the Captain shaved with a different technique from Chopper. He could hear everything as both men cleaned their faces and scraped their scalps clean.

"I can get the back," Rex offered.

A slight pause. Echo knew Chopper was sensitive about being touched due to his scars, but he agreed and then did the same for Rex. He and Fives had trimmed each other's hair often enough. It was easy when somebody's body was identical to your own. It took only minutes for the two men to finish grooming and head off to bed. Their breathing soon joined in with the others, but Echo lay awake, exhausted beyond measure. He felt miserable in his own skin.

In the morning, he heard the others gear up and head off to their shifts. He pretended to sleep through it all. After they all cleared out, he settled out to get some rest but shortly afterwards heard the door slide open again.

_Fek it all._

"I know you're awake, vod."

"Fives," Echo murmured thickly, without rolling over. He was afraid to move, not sure if he could handle it at the moment.

"I brought you food."

Echo simply grunted, giving a noncommittal response.

"You OK? I could get someone to cover my shift."

"_Fives_," Echo grumbled, "I was shot _and_ stabbed. I'm just _tired_." He tried to put the right edge of impatience in his voice. He held perfectly still, tension thick in the room as he waited for his brother's reaction.

"I can stay with you. I've had a number of vod offer to cover my shifts. Everyone knows what you did back on Darkknell."

"Fives, get out."

"I can comm someone to-"

"I don't need someone watch me sleep. Will you go already?"

"Fine. I'm going. Comm if you need me."

"I won't."

"You better or I'll come down to check on you."

"Fine," Echo agreed with a sigh, "I'll comm if I need you. Now will you go?"

"Alright, yes. I might stop back anyway-"

"Fives!"

"OK, OK, I'm leaving."

Echo sighed with relief once his vod finally left. His head was pounding and the room was spinning. He realized he needed to vomit.

_Fek._

He rolled over, crying out in pain as the movement jarred his shoulder.

_Shab. Stupid fekkin' bacta. After all that time in there and the shabla' stuff didn't work._

He pushed up, his limbs shaking and staggered to his feet. The room spun alarmingly and he ended up sinking to his knees on the floor.

_Fek. Fek. Fek._

The last thing he needed was to vomit in the middle of the room. He forced himself up again and staggered to the refresher.

_Gah. It didn't seem like such a long walk yesterday._

Limbs shaking he made it just in time to empty the contents of his stomach into the toilet. He closed his eyes panting, feeling worse than ever. He couldn't remember what time he'd agreed to meet the engineers. He sniffed himself. He should shower. But, he wasn't sure if he could stand long enough to wash. Maybe if he rested a few minutes...

He was tired. That was all. Just like he told Fives... His eyes slid shut and he dozed off for several long moments sitting up by the toilet. The acrid smell of vomit woke up him up with a start and he stared down in confusion at the durasteel bowl.

Disoriented, he glanced around the unfamiliar surroundings. It took him a long time to remember where he was and how he'd gotten there. Finally, he pieced it all together. Kazzie ship. Right. We raided their fortress. Rescued two Legions. Stole their ships and now we're flying home in their massive warship.

He snorted, even though the simple movement made his head pound again.

_That was badass. Even for an ARC._

Fueled by a slight surge of adrenaline, he pushed himself up on shaking limbs.

_If we could pull all that off, I can get myself off the toilet._

_The engineers are coming over. We're going to review the ion engine calibration. _

They would need the ion engines when they came out into sublight speed. As he staggered back into the main room, he tried to think through what could be causing the calibration issues. Everything started to spin alarmingly again, but he was deep in thought working through power cell mechanics. His limbs started to go numb and dimly in the back of his mind he realized he was weaving dangerously on his feet.

_So, if the engines on the ship utilize internal fusion reactions like on a standard Republic cruiser, then we'll need to check if the charged ion particles are being properly forced through the exhaust pipes. If the timing is off, even slightly, it would make it nearly impossible to-_

He was still stubbornly thinking through calibration mechanics when his body suddenly gave way and he crashed down heavily to the floor. He didn't move.

# # #

Ahsoka followed Rex into the conference room. She looked around the large room and into the canopy of stars beyond. Rex was standing in front of the wall of transparisteel, standing rigidly at attention staring out into the expanse. No one else was in the room. He was blocking her out of his emotions. The only time she'd been able to get a read on him was when he was unconscious on TriLuna. But, she could tell from his body language that he was seething.

"Rex, talk to me," she stood beside him and place a hand on his armored bicep.

He stared down at her from behind his dark T-visor, remaining rigidly silent. She stepped in closer to him, moving between his body and the wall. Rex inhaled sharply. She placed a hand on each of his arms and could feel his muscles trembling. It was humbling to know she affected him so powerfully. But, he still refused to speak.

"Rex-" she implored again.

"Am I interrupting something?" a voice from behind startled both of them.

Rex and Ahsoka spun around. Cody stood in the doorway of the conference room and Trapper was behind him. His voice made it clear he knew he _was_ interrupting something. He stood at such an angle he blocked Trapper's view completely and any prying eyes from the bridge.

Ahsoka quickly dropped her hands and moved away from the transparisteel wall. "Rex was showing me the view." She took another step away from the five oh first captain and made a sweeping gesture toward the expanse of streaking stars. "It is…" she shot a look toward Rex, "…beyond words."

Cody looked back and forth between Rex and Ahsoka and then cocked his head to the side. "As you say, commander."

From behind Cody, Trapper cleared his throat impatiently. "Holding scalding hot Kazzie caf. Not getting any lighter."

"Oh, suck it up Trapper," Cody said over his shoulder, "about time you do your share of grunt work."

The ARF trooper 'hmmmped' unhappily and grumbled. "You said I was _delegating _all my duties. I say I was demonstrating my leadership potential."

Rex snorted.

Cody shot a look at the five oh first captain. "You find this funny? Watch it. Or next time we have to switch troops around, he might end up transferred over to you. He can demonstrate all of that _potential_ as a boy in blue."

"You wouldn't dare!" Trapper gasped.

"Absolutely not!" Rex objected. "We have standards!"

"Hey!" the ARF trooper objected, frowning fiercely at Rex, "are you saying I'm not _good enough_ to be five oh first-"

Rex and Trapper were still arguing when Cody put up his hand for silence. "Enough!" He barked, his commander-in-charge voice coming out. "We've delayed long enough." He shot a look at Rex, who had the good sense to dip his chin in silent apology. He glared at Trapper who set down the pots of carafe and retrieved mugs from a cabinet on the side wall. Cody flipped on the holodisplay. "I take it you briefed the commander already on why she is here?"

Ahsoka looked over at Rex and raised an eyebrow.

Rex blew out a defeated sigh. "No. We were discussing another issue related to a member of the five oh first."

Cody cocked his head to the side again. "Fascinating." His voice held a definite hint of sarcasm. He turned his attention back to the holochart, studying it with a critical eye. "I've prepared full briefs. Trapper?"

The ARF tooper distributed datapads to everyone present.

Ahsoka read through the information with surprise. "You want me to speak to High Command as soon as we drop out of hyperspace?"

Cody and Rex both nodded as one, studying her reaction.

"We think of all of us, you'd have the best chance of getting a positive reaction. Timing will be critical. General Kenobi would also have been an excellent choice, but he's unconscious," Cody explained.

"But, why me?" She was not known for her eloquence with words.

"You are a known favorite of the Jedi Council," Rex said bluntly. Ahsoka inhaled, it was strange to hear him speaking to her again. "They will be shocked to see you since you have been missing so long, but are very unlikely to fire on one of their own. Jedi have the power to read minds, correct?"

Ahsoka stared at Rex. Their eyes met for a moment, and she could feel Cody watching them intently. Of course he knew the answer to that question already. He had experienced it first hand on TriLuna.

"Yes," Ahsoka confirmed, "with limitations, of course."

"And, they can also confirm your identity?" Cody prompted. "Due to the way Jedi can communicate through their minds?"

There was an intensity about Cody as he asked the question in the same way Rex had phrased his question. It was also as if he knew much more than he was letting on and the briefing was more of formality to bring Ahsoka up to speed on the plan. Ahsoka knew even when she returned there would be much she couldn't share with the Jedi Council. Everything had changed somehow now, and suddenly she wasn't quite sure which_ side_ she was on anymore. She squashed down the uncomfortable thought.

They went through every aspect of the plan exhaustively and made Ahsoka practice her lines again and again. She might not be Obi Wan Kenobi, the Negotiator, but she liked to think she could be counted on in a crisis.

Although it seemed she had handled this latest situation with Rex very badly. As they left the conference room, he headed straight for the lift. She followed him and stepped into the lift with him. She tried to think of what to say and how to explain about everything she and Appo had been through together during their time in the dungeons. She knew she had to handle this carefully, and tried to think it through from _his_ perspective. This has been an incredibly difficult time period for Rex as well filled with emotional turbulence. She had felt the raw emotions sometimes come through to her in bursts, and he was normally so tightly controlled. Part of her felt like it was wrong for him to be angry at her for factors that were almost completely outside of her control. And, another part of her understood that most of his anger was likely more stemming from his being angry that he could not be there during her time of need. Instead it had been the one person who had been given the command of his legion in his absence. She realized with a start that Rex must feel like Appo had _replaced_ him. Stepped in and taken over when Rex had been sent away.

She took a deep breath, determined to speak to him.

The lift doors stopped and opened admitting more passengers. Ahsoka grimaced in frustration. They couldn't talk now. She was pushed to the back of the large lift to make room. She kept an eye on Rex needing to know where he departed. The lift made several more stops taking on more clones. She was pushed so far to the back she barely made it out when she saw Rex suddenly step off on the recreation level.

"Excuse me!" she darted out just as the doors were closing. She ran to catch up to Rex, who was already down the hallway and turning around the next corner. She hurried after him.

Rex turned his head back sharply and she could tell from the way his helmet snapped back to regard her that he did not appreciate being followed. He strode into what she instantly realized was the gym. It was enormous as she'd come to expect of everything on the Kazzie ship. Two troopers were working out in one corner of the gym. Rex tugged off his helmet and glared in their direction. The troopers immediately grabbed their gear and hightailed out of the gym.

Ahsoka shook her head. "Big bad Captain."

Rex still didn't acknowledge her. He started pulling off pieces of his armor, and setting them down on a nearby bench. She knew some of the clones preferred to work out in their bodysuits for comfort. Some of the Kazzie equipment had been pushed aside. She glanced back at a piece of equipment with odd pulleys and bars whose function she could not identify. She leaned back against it, arms folded across her chest and watched Rex expertly strip down. She was always amazed at the ease with which the clones slipped in and out of the complex plating. But, there was no one she enjoyed watching suit up and down more than Rex. It was the best part of being in the GAR.

He finished all too quickly, and she let out a sigh. He glanced sharply in her direction. His face was still set in a hard line, and she wondered how long he was going to remain angry. He headed to an anti-grav weight machine, almost identical to the one used back on _the Resolute_ except for a larger seat and more weight settings. Rex started breathing out, pacing himself evenly as he pushed against the weights. She was content to simply watch him for a while, as it made for a relaxing end to a long day. They often worked out together back on _the Resolute_. However, Rex would always talk to her then, even if it was simple talk about missions, training, personnel and other five oh first matters. They still _talked_.

"Rex," Ahsoka finally said in exasperation, tired of being ignored.

He paused, frozen halfway in a rep, muscles straining and trembling. He'd been at it for a while and it was obvious he was tiring. She used the Force to release his hands, and ease the weight back into position.

He glared at her. He severely disliked it when she used the Force to push any part of his body against his will. He pushed up from the workout seat, and stalked away.

She followed him. "Rex, we need to talk."

"No, we don't," he ground out, heading over to the thick durafoam matting. He dropped down and launched into push-ups, completing rep after rep with perfect form. It was an effective way to completely ignore her again.

"Rex, will you just listen to me?"

No reaction. Ahsoka waited for him to finish. But, he didn't show any sign of stopping. She continued to wait, trying to exhibit Jedi patience. After ninety minutes, Ahsoka finally huffed with annoyance. With a burst of Force energy, she pulled Rex forcefully to his feet so he was facing her. She didn't mean to pull him up so quickly. He had to stumble to keep his balance. Once she was sure he had properly regained his footing, she released him from her grip.

As soon as she did, he grabbed her and pushed her up against the nearest wall, pinning her there between his body and the wall. "_Don't _-_ever-_ _do-_ _that-_ _again_." His eyes were flashing with anger. She had never seen him this angry. His sides were heaving with exertion.

"Rex," she said, trying to reach him, "I just want to talk to you."

He squeezed his eyes shut a moment, still breathing heavily. He was obviously fighting for control. He finally spoke and his words came out as a pained ragged gasp that tore at her heart. "I can't take this, Ahsoka."

Before she could respond, he pulled away.

# # #

_A/N: This chapter was originally going to be longer, but I figured this was enough excitement for one week. Wait until next Monday. Trust me, it will be very memorable. I could use some more clone names if you would like to name a character. There are always clones popping in and out of the story, especially now on board the massive ship. Some of the clones might stick around for a while, and others might appear only for a scene. No guarantees. (And, yes, be aware if you submit a name your clone could also be killed off in a battle scene.) I have a new clone in mind for a scene coming up. _


	8. Chapter 8 Broken

**Rex II**

** Chapter 8 **

"I can't take this, Ahsoka," Rex said, each word a pained, ragged gasp.

Ahsoka felt her heart breaking.

"Rex." She leaned forward, brushing her lips up against his. It was an electric shock. She felt his whole body react to the jolt. He gasped, and pulled back.

_This is probably a bad idea._

But, she couldn't stop. Not now.

She leaned in again. Her lips brushed up against his rough stubbled chin, tasting his skin. It was the gentlest of touches, but she felt Rex shudder in response.

"Ahsoka," he whispered her name low and deep in this throat. "Stop." It was a half-hearted plea as if he wasn't sure he had the strength to hold her back. He sounded lost and broken. Her eyes widened and stared at him, mesmerized by his brown eyes. They stayed that way for a long moment, simply looking at each other. Two people of action, both afraid to move.

She could feel so much turmoil inside of Rex. She moved first, reaching a hand up to gently massage his scalp. Rex tensed up and looked like he was going to pull away, but then allowed the touch. He'd always had a fondness for when she touched his hair. She worked her fingers through the freshly shorn blonde stubble as she spoke to him, "We need to talk about Appo."

Rex scowled. "Fek Appo. Regretting we rescued the shabuir."

"Rex," she chastised, "I don't know what it is between you and him-"

"He's _not_ five oh first. Everyone knows it."

Ahsoka felt the need to defend Appo. "During the Battle of Kaz'haria, he fought very bravely."

"Oh, I'm sure he did," his voice dripped with sarcasm. "I've seen the way he operates. It's how he rose up to _commander._"

Ahsoka ignored the comment and pressed on. "He was there when I needed help most." Under her fingertips, she felt Rex grow even tenser, but she felt he needed to hear the truth. "I probably would not have survived Kaz'haria if not for him." She could feel Rex's mood grow even darker, but she continued on. "After our capture, we were thrown in the same cell-"

"I'd rather not be reminded be of _that_," Rex murmured darkly.

"It doesn't change what happened. We made several escape attempts over the next two months and each time he _protected_ me. So, whatever issues you have with him, Rex, I still consider him a valued friend _and_ a good commander." Rex snorted derisively at this last part. "The battle itself might not have gone well-"

"Didn't- go- well?" Rex practically spat out each word. "He takes over and not only does he fail to protect the Jedi, _all_ of whom end up injured, but the entire Legion gets c_aptured_! I'm sure he set a command record with that one. If he'd done his job _correctly_, none of you would've ended up locked in cells!"

"Rex, that's not fair. You can't blame the entire battle on Appo. Cody-"

"Cody? Where was Appo when the 212th was in trouble? We're supposed to have their backs! Cody nearly got killed!"

Ahsoka studied Rex carefully. "Is this really about Appo, or _your_ feelings about not being there?"

Rex ripped away from her, air escaping out of his throat in a hiss of angry frustration. She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder again, trying to pull him back. "Rex, don't push me away-"

He turned back, his eyes blazing with emotion. Ahsoka felt it then, a sense that this would be their last chance. Tomorrow they were docking in Coruscant. She was going back to the Temple and he was headed to the barracks. She would be under the watchful eyes of the Jedi and he would be always be confined by the GAR. But, right now, in this moment, they still had their freedom. She needed him. And, she needed to reassure him of her feelings before they were torn apart again. She closed the gap between them, more confident now. She leaned in, pressing her lips down to taste him again.

It was like setting fuel to fire.

Rex groaned and his arms automatically came up to lock around her. She deepened the kiss. She could tell he was the past the breaking point. She didn't know whether to rejoice or be terrified.

He pushed her back up against the wall, allowing him to more easily support her weight. With one powerful arm, he lifted her legs up and around his waist. It was an intimate embrace, even through their clothing. She gasped and he took the lead as her mouth opened, deepening the kiss. Their mouths continued to entangle together and she began to feel lightheaded from the fast pace of it all. Rex's mouth moved to her neck, and then on to her montral. Her breathing came in short gasps and she shuddered. They were both still fully clothed and already she felt like she was on the brink.

"Rex," her voice had changed in pitch. She wasn't sure what she was asking for, but she was sure only Rex could provide it. He continued his assault on her montral. She closed her eyes and-

His commlink suddenly went off, sounding a high priority alert signal chime.

Rex shifted his grip and instantly brought his wrist comm up to his lips. His voice was calm, even though his face was flushed. "This is Rex."

"This is Coric. We have a medical emergency."

"Report."

Rex exchanged a quick look with Ahsoka as he sat her gently down to the deck, and turned to gather up his armored plates.

"It's Echo. Came back from third shift and found him lying on the deck non-responsive. Kix is here with me. We've got him on a stretcher and we're about to head to medbay. His vitals are dangerously low and his response to stimuli is completely erratic."

Rex paused momentarily, brow furrowed with confusion. "Bottom line it for me."

"He's dropped into a coma. We need to get him to a medcenter stat."

"Medcenter," Rex murmured. He scowled, quickly resuming armoring up.

"The moment we drop back into normal space," Kix said, coming on-line. "The way his vitals are dropping, every second is critical."

"ArmyMed," Coric said, "top GAR facility on Corrie."

"No," Rex's response was immediate and emphatic, forcefully clipping on his weapons' belt.

"Echo is dying, Rex," Coric's said, his statement bringing a momentary shocked silence to both five oh first officers.

Rex's eyes closed for a moment and Ahsoka could see his struggle from his rigidly held body language. "I'll meet you in medbay."

He gave Ahsoka one quick last look and left the gym, tugging on his helmet as he exited.

# # #

_A/N: One day to go until they arrive on Corrie. A different sort of homecoming than the men from Ando._


	9. Chapter 9 Torn Apart

_5/30: Revised the scene slightly between Rex, Appo and Ahsoka. I enjoy writing Appo. Such a conflicted clone._

**Rex II**

**Chapter 9**

Rex headed out into the corridor, his mind in turmoil. His blood was boiling from what had almost happened in the gym. He had nearly taken Ahsoka up against the wall. Any trooper could have walked in on them in the midst of their coupling.

She would have let him take her. It was clear she welcomed him. He'd reacted more intensely than he'd thought possible. It had been difficult to hold himself back on TriLuna and he'd had a shattered leg at the time. Now, he was in peak physical condition and his body was throbbing painfully with need.

Fek. Literally.

He reached a hand down inside his armor and readjusted himself trying to get himself to fit a little more comfortably inside his codpiece. But, the touch of his own hand made the situation worse. He needed a long shower. He gave up on readjusting himself and being very uncomfortable within his codpiece. Wouldn't be the first time.

"Rex," Ahsoka ran after him, her steps quick and light as she ran to catch up to him.

_Fek. So much for his good intentions to stay away until he calmed down. _

He continued walking quickly, headed toward the lift, half-hoping they would run into other troopers along the way. But, it was late into the third-shift and the corridors were quiet. The lift doors opened.

_Of course the lift is empty._

Rex sighed inwardly as they entered the quiet intimacy of the lift together.

"Rex," Ahsoka started again, and placed one of her small hands on his armored forearm.

It was a simple touch but the effect on him was shocking. He closed his eyes and took a long dragging breath forcing himself not to react to her touch. His body was already reacting strongly to her near presence.

He had to forcibly tap down a growl of deep-seated sexual frustration from months of pent-up denial. He closed his eyes as he was assaulted with visions of once again picking up the Jedi commander, wrapping her around his waist and pushing her up against the wall. Except this time all he had to do was slam the emergency controls of the lift. It was late at night. Nobody would notice one stopped lift. He could rip off his codpiece and take her in his full armor. She could grip his armored shoulders, hold onto his helmet, and they could finish what they started in the gym. His body throbbed even more painfully.

There were no security holo-vids on these lifts, were there?

Thoughts of the consequences of what could happen to them if they were caught helped him get control of his burning feelings. A second or two later, when he cocked his helmet head toward her and responded, his voice was relatively calm. "Yes?"

"Are you alright? About Echo? You seemed upset when Coric mentioned the medcenter?"

A flood of emotions ran through Rex starting with anger and quickly changing to disbelief. But, he took a few seconds to once again get himself under control. It would likely be difficult the to explain to any non-clone the emotional pain of being decommissioned and sent for reconditioning. He decided he wasn't ready to discuss it.

"I'm fine."

Ashoka frowned. "Are you sure because you seemed upset-"

He shook his head. "Everything is under control." The lift doors opened and he exited ahead of her and briskly walked away.

# # #

Fives was walking to the mess after third shift when the call came in from Coric.

"You better come down to medbay."

Without even asking asking, Fives _knew, _but he had to say it anyway. "Echo?"

"Get down here. Coric out." The medic wouldn't say anything more.

_Fek. Fek. Fek._

Fives charged through the corridors, his armored boots clicking against the highly polished floors. He couldn't make it to the medbay fast enough.

_This is all my fault._

He hadn't heard from his vod for the entire shift. He'd been tempted to call him several times, and twice he almost left his post to double-check on him. But, he finally decided Echo must be getting some rest. He seemed so tired when he'd left in the morning.

_If only I'd gone to check on him, I should have been there for him-_

_Fek. If I'd been a better vod, he wouldn't have gotten injured in the first place. I took too long to find him on Darkknell. If I could have gotten to him sooner, then he wouldn't have gotten stabbed. He shouldn't have been fighting without me watching his back._

Fives rounded the final corner and skidded into medbay. He'd spent a great deal of time in here during the first four days when Echo had been in bacta.

"You're looking for Echo? He's over there," Commander Appo, now awake and alert, nodded to Fives as he ran through the door. One of the five oh first commander's arms was still bandaged and bound, but he otherwise looked much better than when the ARC had seen him in previous days.

Fives nodded a thank you to the commander and ran across the medbay. Echo was surrounded by activity. Digger and Glitch, two medics from the 212th, were standing on one side of Echo taking blood tests and running diagnostics on the injured ARC. They efficiently read numbers he results back and forth to each other, comparing numbers as they tallied with perfect clone efficiency. On Echo's other side, Kix and Coric, were also working in tandem, hooking up fluids and injecting the ARC with hypos. It looked like a chaos of activity, but as Fives watched, he realized the four medics were carefully coordinating results.

"He's not responding to the adrena-cortisizine," Digger announced.

"Let's try increasing the dosage of EGDTs," Coric frowned thoughtfully.

"Agreed," Kix said, reaching for another bag of fluids. Fives watched, feeling numb and detached as the medical team worked over Echo's pale and unresponsive form. He felt his stomach drop as the four medics shook their heads with frustration. He knew _that_ look. It was never good.

The door to medbay swished open and he looked over as the captain and the commander briskly entered.

Appo's eyes narrowed, but he did not call out a greeting to the captain. However, the moment he caught sight of the commander his entire body language changed. He straightened up and nodded to the commander, making eye contact for a lingering second too long. "Commander," he greeted politely.

"Appo," she returned, as they passed his bunk and continued walking toward the back of medbay.

She heard Rex hiss under his breath and murmur something under his breath that she was sure was Mando'a and was even more certain was not flattering toward his new commander.

Fives studied Rex and Ahsoka as they approached. Even fully armored, it was clear from his body language he was taut with tension. The commander was following a couple of steps behind him, rather than walking by his side, like she usually did. Her cheeks were flushed with color, as if she'd recently been exerting herself. Coric turned back and gave the two a quick perusal, muttering something under his breath that Fives couldn't hear before returning his attention to Echo.

"Fives," Rex said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

Fives wasn't sure what was going on with the captain. But, Rex had _come back_ for them, and he was here when he needed him the most.

"Rex," Fives said, unable to keep the slight quiver out of his voice. Fek. He hated sounding weak. He looked back at the commander. She was close with all the men, and usually would come forward to comfort at a time like this, but something seemed to be holding her back at the moment. He considered her a close friend. Everyone in the Legion felt the same way about the commander. Fives cocked his head to the side, curious at the change in behavior. Ahsoka caught the look and came forward.

"Fives," she came forward, and embraced him, giving him a light brotherly hug, "how's Echo?"

He smelled it then when she came forward and embraced him. She smelled like the captain. He blinked in surprise. Temporarily taken aback.

_Oh Huh?_

It took him a long beat to realize he hadn't answered the commander's question, and another beat to realize Rex was speaking to him.

"Let go of her, Fives."

Fives blinked and looked into Rex's helmet. He looked down at his arms and realized he was still holding onto his commander. Even without being able to see his vod's eyes, he could see and feel Rex's displeasure. He quickly dropped his arms and stepped back.

"Report," Rex snapped, turning his attention to the medics.

Coric shook his head. "Some kind of bacterium has invaded his bloodstream. Very unusual. Kazzie origin. Scanners didn't pick it up. We're trying to treat it like a regular with anti-infective protocols, but he's not responding. He needs the resources of a full medcenter."

Rex took a deep dragging breath and studied the still form on the bunk. Fives looked at Rex, trying to figure out what he was thinking. There hadn't been anytime to talk to him about his experiences at ArmyMed. None of them knew what happened to Captain Rex. And, the rest of his mystery... Fives wondered if they would ever get answers to his whereabouts for the time he'd been missing.

"Alright," Rex finally agreed, "but, if he goes, he is not going alone." He pointed to Kix. "You will be going with him as his personal medic and will stay with him at all times." Fives felt his insides clench at the thought of being separated from Echo. "Fives, you will also be going with him."

"Me?" Fives blinked, not sure if he'd heard correctly.

"Kix can't watch monitor him at all times. He will have to rest and eat. I don't want Echo left alone at _any_ time. If there is _any_ talk at _any_ time that he may not recover, you are to contact me right away. If they even _mention_ Kamino, you will contact me immediately. Is that clear?"

Fives nodded, still stunned at his good fortune.

And, then, Appo spoke from across the medbay. "You don't have the authority to do any of this, _Captain_. You are not _in_ the GAR." He folded his one good arm across his chest, looking smug. "However, if you need something, you could ask me-"

Rex crossed the medbay in several fast strides and was right in Appo's face. He grabbed the five oh first commander by the scruff of his oversized Kazzie tunic. "Echo is _my_ responsibility. I will take care of my own."

"Rex!" Ahsoka came up behind him, clearly irate. "Let him go. He's injured!"

With great reluctance, he released his hold on the five oh first commander. "There will come a time, Appo," Rex murmured low and quiet under his breath, as he stepped back.

"Did you just threaten me?" Appo blinked.

"I'll give the order for Echo to go the medical center," Ahsoka said loudly, quickly changing the subject. "And, Kix and Fives, as well. Will that do?"

Everyone turned their attention to her and after a long moment, Rex and Appo both nodded in agreement. Fives gave a sigh of relief, and returned his attention to Echo's still form lying on the medbay bunk.

Now, Echo just needed to survive long enough to make it back to Coruscant.

# # #

_A/N: I had a first draft of this completed on Friday and then somehow the file was deleted so I needed to start again afresh on Monday morning after a very, very busy weekend. Ah well. Nothing like a good rewrite. :) But anyway, it is finished now very late on Monday. Happy reading._


	10. Chapter 10 Appo

_Revised 1/10/15: Still trying to get Appo's character just right. He's a difficult one. In Rex I, I showed a different side of Appo than what was seen in the cartoon series. Appo was presented as a more multi-dimensional character than simply the "snitch" in Umbara. He is an honorable clone whom you could actually see as a viable candidate to have risen through the ranks quickly to commander. I'm trying to reconcile that honorable clone with someone who can get jealous of Rex and also behave like the character did on the show, (which isn't a very likable Appo, at all.)_

_5/30/15: Revised Appo's inner monologue where he reflects back on the Battle of Kaz'haria. He admits to himself that he might have been so focused on protecting Ahsoka during the battle he may have taken his attention off the battle. There are differences between the way Appo is able to command, and the way Rex is able to command. It will be interesting to see how the two of them run a battle together. Also revised the interactions between Cody and Appo as I see the two of them butting heads._

**Rex II**

**Chapter 10**

Appo watched the captain and the commander exit the medbay.

_This isn't right. I shouldn't be stuck here in medbay. I've been in bed too long. I need to take charge._

He used his one good arm to lever himself up, gritting his teeth and cursing the Kazzie who'd nearly torn him apart. He swung his legs over the side of the bunk and was hit with a wave of dizziness. He cursed again and waited for it to pass.

"Hold up, commander. Where do you think you are going?" one of the medics from the 212th came over and intercepted him.

"I'm headed to the bridge, where I belong," he said, trying to push up a second time. His legs betrayed him and he fell back against the bed. "Give me a stim and get me back on my feet." He frowned, trying to remember the name of the medic holding him back. He'd been in bacta his first few days on board the ship and had been mostly sleeping after he'd come out of the tank. His body was now finally beginning to shake off the effects of heavy sedatives and painkillers.

He couldn't remember ever being given so many drugs. But, then again, the fekkin' Kazzies had done a number of him. His memories of everything that happened after his rescue were still foggy. He felt far from normal, but he was anxious to get back to duty. Rex had already been released and was strutting about like he owned the ship.

Appo had mixed feelings about Rex.

He had grudging respect for the Captain.

_Former_ Captain, he reminded himself with annoyance.

But, Rex was no longer in the GAR. This was Appo's Legion, and Rex was running around giving orders now like he'd never left.

It was intolerable.

The Captain, he reminded himself again, gah, he was giving himself a headache, had no respect for authority.

And... Commander Tano. He'd seen the lines of anxiety and worry on her face when she'd entered the medbay. Something was wrong and whatever it was, Rex was not handling it properly. Appo clearly needed to take charge. She was _his _responsibility. General Skywalker had tasked him with protecting his padawan when he'd taken command of the five oh first. He'd been willing to give up his life for the commander on Kaz'haria. He may have even focused on the commander to the point of taking his attention off the battle. But, his General had given him a direct order. He'd done everything he could to shield her in the prisons of Darkknell. The commander was in distress and needed his assistance again. Captain Rex was obviously not up to the task.

"Stand down, medic," Appo hissed, forcing his legs to hold him up by sheer force of will, "let me pass."

Fek. A week of being confined in bed and two months of captivity and beatings had severely weakened him. He could already feel his muscles trembling.

"Are you threatening one of my medics?"

Appo cursed under his breath. The only clone on this ship who ranked above him stood behind the 212th medic, arms crossed in displeasure.

"Commander Cody," Appo said, dipping his head in slight deference to the field marshal commander.

"Is there a problem here?" Cody's voice was calm, but he made it clear there was no mistaking the authority in his tone and despite both being commanders, as a field marshall, he was outranked by the other clone.

Behind him, Coric and Kix stood with arms folded across their chests in perfect imitation of Cody's pose.

"No problem, sir_,_" Appo said, careful to keep his tone respectful. He hadn't risen quickly through the ranks by being a fool. "I was only anxious to check on the welfare of the men under my command."

Cody's eyes narrowed as he studied Appo. He paused a beat before answering as if Appo were an excess shipping crate and they weren't sure where to stow him. Appo held Cody's gaze and refused to show any weakness. Cody spoke again, and with clear authority. "Captain Rex is more than capable of handling the Legion while you recover from your injuries." He paused again, but for a shorter time. "However, if you wish, I will make sure the Captain submits the proper reports on the Legion's current status. He is known for his meticulous attention-to-detail on flimsi work."

Without waiting for a response, Cody spun on his heel, dismissing Appo. He walked away, asking Kix and Coric for an update on ARC trooper Echo.

The lone 212th medic remained, standing beside Appo's bedside. He looked bemused by the whole affair.

"You felt it necessary to call in the commander?" Appo hissed.

The medic laughed, and this rankled Appo even further. He'd never been a well-liked clone and he'd been on the receiving end of cruel humor more often than he wanted to recount. Appo clenched his fists and resisted the urge to strike out.

"I didn't call in Commander Cody. He came down due to the medical emergency, but the expression on your face when he came up behind you... you looked like your blaster misfired!" The clone medic grinned broadly remembering the moment.

Appo growled in displeasure.

But, the young medic seemed to intend no malice with his cheery humor. "Come on commander, let's get you back into bed. You look done in." He gently lifted up Appo's legs and replaced them on the bunk. "You want me to keep you company? I have a set of sabacc cards. I made them myself from some flimsi I found in the lower decks here." His eyes were still filled with humor and mischief.

Appo wanted to refuse. He was still completely rankled from the confrontation with Cody. He was sure this medic would be recounting the story time and again at his expense. Besides, he didn't normally spend time with other vode. None of them wanted to spend with him. The medic carefully resettled him into his bunk, repositioning his body with pillows to take the strain off all his injuries. "Comfortable, sir?"

Appo nodded. The young medic was very skilled at his job.

"Alright, then, sabacc time?" the 212th trooper prompted again.

Appo thought about his options. It didn't sound like he was making it out of medbay and back on duty before Coruscant. Company did sound appealing. Feeling he was taking a huge chance, he nodded. The medic's face broke into a huge grin and he dashed off to retrieve the cards.

# # #

Appo learned the young medic's name was Glitch. He'd only been with the 212th for three weeks when he'd been deployed to Kaz'haria. A shinie. Despite the hellish conditions deep beneath the Darknellian jungle, the medic hadn't lost his shinie enthusiasm. All clones lost it eventually. The shine definitely wore off given enough battles. Appo couldn't to study Glitch curiously as he proudly showed off his cards again, and shuffled them, chattering non-stop. Where did any clone come up with that many words at one time?

"Don't you have to be with the others?" Appo asked when the clone stopped to take a breath, careful to keep any malice out of his tone. Other clones tended to take his words the wrong way, and he did not want to scare off the medic.

"No," he shrugged his shoulders with relaxed ease, "I've been assigned to keep an eye on _you._" The cheerfulness never left his tone, as if he thought nothing unusual about this order.

Appo blinked, taken aback. "Assigned? By whom?" He heard the harshness slip into his tone, and Glitch frowned. He sighed inwardly, knowing he needed to work on how he related to other clones. General Skywalker had called him into his office to talk to him about it shortly after he took over as commander of the five oh first. He was surprisingly diplomatic about it, a quality Appo had not expected considering Skywalker's brash reputation. The General was a surprisingly agreeable man and he'd already earned Appo's loyalty.

Glitch jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Coric." A determined set came over the young medic's face and Appo realized then that like all of his kind, he was not willing to back down to anyone regardless of rank. "However, Commander Cody seconded the order as soon as he came in."

Appo's mouth twisted in a bitter line.

_Fek it._

Glitch didn't _want _to spend time with him. He was following orders. The five oh first commander wanted to send Glitch away. He could order him to leave him alone. He was still the second highest ranking clone on this ship after Cody.

"So, two card or five card?" Glitch shuffled the cards, glancing at him hopefully, genuine warmth in his face. "I know how to play all of the main variants; Corellian Gambit, Bespin Standard, Empress Tea, all of 'em. I can tell you all the rules, too, including Idiot's Array," the young clone said proudly. "But, I excel at two card. Best in my squad at Kamino."

Appo wavered. He'd been about to tell the young medic where to shove his fekkin' deck.

Glitch was still looking at him like a young akk pup. "I haven't had a chance to use these cards since I made them. We've been so busy here in the medbay." His voice changed slightly, as he recounted a story. "I found the flimsi when I was assigned to go to the lower decks to look for extra med supplies. Since then, I've been staying up late in the mess after my shift is done working on making the deck." He looked at Appo, as if he somehow owed him an explanation for this behavior. "I needed to do something different after work. Something that reminded me of better times. I hadn't played since before…" A flash of darkness crossed the medic's face and he suddenly looked much older, and not a shinie anymore. "Since before..."

Appo understood because the look on Glitch's face told him everything.

The Kaz'harians had lured the 212th into a minefield. The portions of the Legion which hadn't been killed in the initial explosion had been overwhelmed soon after and sent to the prisons of Darkknell.

"Two card, Glitch," Appo nodded toward the sabacc deck. He placed a comforting hand on Glitch's shoulder and pulled him back from the dark. When he closed his eyes he saw the darkness, too. The Battle of Kaz'haria played behind his eyelids repeated endlessly in a loop. But, for Appo, he analyzed every one of his moves and wondered what he could have done differently to protect the Jedi and troops under his command. Was everything that happened afterwards _his_ fault? The battle endlessly haunted him.

He had even darker memories of the long days and nights that followed. He remembered pain and fevers and when his body was at its' weakest, he'd been taken to the labs. And, then he'd been dragged by an enormous Kaz'harian into a closet and stripped naked. He knew from the horrific screams of the others what was to come next. He was about to die being ripped apart from the inside out-

_Fek. He was indebted to Cody for saving him. He hated owing anybody._

The only light in the darkness had been Commander Tano. She'd worked to heal him during his pain-filled feverish days and dark nights. She'd become his one reason to continue living when his body wanted to give up. He would have died if not for the commander's dedication to him.

"Sir, are _you_ alright?" Glitch's voice pulled him back.

Appo blinked and realized he was still holding onto the young medic. He nodded and released him, blinking rapidly.

"The flashbacks," the medic whispered, "they will get better with time." With a pang, Appo realized the mental scars from their imprisonment were already taking the shine off the young medic.

Glitch dealt out the cards and the two were silent now as they played the game of chance.

# # #

Cody took a deep breath as he watched the chrono countdown over the main view screen.

"Approaching Coruscant, preparing to drop out of hyperspace," Hawk announced from his post at the nav station. The combat pilot was completely at ease with the Kaz'harian controls and it showed in his fluidity at the controls. As a back-up, Rocky and Cosmo, the second and third shift pilots, stood behind him ready to assist. They stood comfortably, with their hands locked behind their backs, but they had a battle-ready alertness about them. Like all of the recently freed clones, they'd regained weight over the past week eating ample quantities of the fresh Kazzie fruit. The three pilots looked thin, but not gaunt, and had regained a healthy glow to their olive skin.

The entire bridge crew was fully staffed with clones, ready to implement the final stage of their plan.

He looked over toward Rex, and raised up a questioning eyebrow. The 501st Captain nodded. They were ready to go home.

"Take us out of hyperspace, Hawk."

# # #


	11. Chapter 11 Coruscant

_Revised 6/3/15. Tweaked Cody's inner monologue re: Barriss. I received feedback that Cody and Barriss' relationship seemed to be based more on physical attraction without the same basis in a deep rooted friendship as Rex/Ahsoka. A valid criticism, so I'm working on giving their relationship more depth. Although, I would like to remind that reader that Cody and Barriss also bonded over shared laughter and emotional healing which they shared during their time at Ord Cestus, and not just a strong physical attraction. _

_Revised 1/10/16. Continued the rewrite of Cody's inner-monologue to give him even more depth and (gasp) even make him a bit of a romantic. (Gasp) Yes, shoot me. But, it works for him._

**Rex II**

**Chapter 11**

# # #

"Cloaking device ready to engage, Commander," Winder announced from the wide Engineering station, flanked by the rest of his team; Zinc, Tucker and Jamie. Rex stood by, watching over the Engineering team, since he was the one with the most field experience with the device.

"Timing will be critical," Cody said to every member of the bridge crew. They all met his eyes, keenly focused on his every word even though they'd practiced this drill a dozen times already. They'd planned for every known contingency. But, it was always the unknown that worried him.

Cody stretched out his neck, trying to work out muscles grown stiff from tension and being on duty too many hours already. He felt a slight pull at the base of his skull when he moved the wrong way, a reminder of the injury from the last time things had gone very badly. He absently rubbed a hand to ease the ache before it worked into a headache.

Standing to his right, Barriss shot him a concerned look. Both Jedi commanders had decided to come onto the bridge for the final leg of the journey home. Cody was flanked by the two young Jedi.

Commander Tano fidgeted slightly from foot to foot. If she'd been a clone under his command, he'd order her to hold still. But, he held silent and tried to ignore her constant movements.

But, then there was... Barriss.

She was the picture of Jedi calm. But, Cody was still completely unsettled around her. He couldn't concentrate with her near him. He took another deep breath and focused his attention on the screen, but when he did so he caught a slight hint of the scent that was uniquely Barriss.

He forced himself to relax. He had to remain calm for the sake of all of those under his command.

Barriss leaned in toward him and asked softly. "Are you alright?"

Her scent hit him like a charged ion cannon, and he resisted the urge order her from the bridge.

Fek. He wanted to order _both_ Jedi off the bridge, but they needed at least one of them to make this plan work.

"Yes, Commander," he said, keeping his voice crisp, professional and even. It was a safe bet every vode on the bridge was listening. He swept his gaze around the bridge crew. He could feel the charged energy of all the troopers. They were all excited about being back. This was the only life any of them knew. None of them had experienced what he had in the apartment at Ord Cestus. Cody was wondering if he would have been better off remaining as ignorant as the rest of them. Maybe it would have been better not having a tantalizing glimpse of anything beyond their limited clone existence.

Cooking simple together. Watching holo vids on the couch with Barriss nestled in his arms. Discovering that delicious little spot on her neck that-

He forced his attention back to the chrono above the vid-screen.

He'd discovered there was more to life than the Republic Army. And, now he wished he hadn't. He was better off not knowing.

"Approaching Coruscant, preparing to drop out of hyperspace," Hawk announced from the pilot station.

As one, they all watched the countdown together. The numbers scrolled backwards. Hawk started to count backwards from twenty as they prepared to come out of hyperspace. Barriss leaned in slightly toward Cody.

It was so slight that no one else on the bridge would have noticed it.

But, Cody felt as if she had wrapped herself around him.

He sighed in quiet frustration under his breath.

Barriss' glanced down at him and immediately eased back.

"10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1," Hawk continued down.

"Take us out of hyperspace, Hawk." Cody ordered.

As the high speed drive engine smoothly kicked in the deaccelerator compensators and the powerful engines switched over to impulse, the massive warship dropped out of orbit directly above Coruscant. In front of them, they could see several massive Jedi Cruisers in protective orbit around the planet.

"Raise shields," Cody ordered.

"Shields up," Denal acknowledged from the front deflector shield station.

Cody looked over toward Rex and the engineering team. Rex nodded that they were ready.

"Engage cloak," Cody ordered.

Having been through the drill so many times before, the team was already engaging the extensive power cell array.

"Cloak up, sir," Winder said, less than a second later. "We're off sensors."

"Hawk, take us behind the fourth moon," Cody ordered.

"Course laid in, sir," the pilot said. "Heading behind the fourth moon."

As they moved past the fleet, they watched the cruisers react. They were following standard GAR tactics, looking for the hidden threat. Cody felt a twinge of guilt as he pictured the slight panic ensuing aboard each ship as they searched for a large, unknown warship that suddenly dropped into orbit and then immediately disappeared. GAR Command would assume the worst scenario had come to pass; an invasion of Coruscant.

Rex leaned down over the sensors' station. "All of the cruisers have raised shields and spread out in a standard defensive pattern. They are circling and looking for us. All ships are at maximum shields and charging weapons. Photon torpodoes form the looks of it."

Rex sounded outwardly calm, but Cody could detect the undercurrents of tension.t could take so little to make this go very badly. All eyes were on the screen.

"There's the _Resolute_ and the _Negotiator_," Trapper pointed out from his post at the auxiliary portside sensors, "our own ships are hunting _us_."

"Cut the chatter," Captain Ko said sharply, from his position watching over the bridge crew.

Cody nodded to Ko. The trooper made an excellent Captain, thinking much the same way Cody did. He always felt comfortable leaving Ko in charge. Cody nodded to Boil, over at the comms station. "Open a channel."

"Channel open, sir. We're broadcasting on all last known valid GAR frequencies," the 212th trooper said. "Visual and audio."

He nodded to Ahsoka. "Commander Tano, now would be a good time for us to identify ourselves."

_Come on, Commander. Make this convincing. They have to believe it is us._

"GAR Fleet, this is Commander Ashoka Tano. I am here onboard a stolen enemy ship, along with General Skywalker, General Kenobi, General Unduli and Commander Offee, Captain Leon and his commandos, the 212th Legion, and the five oh first Legion. We have escaped captivity at the hands of the Kaz'harians who were working in conjunction with the Separatists. We are requesting permission to land. We have many severely injured, including Generals Skywalker, Kenobi and Unduli who will need transport to the Temple. We have clones with severe injuries, who will need evacuation to ArmyMed. Please acknowledge. Timing is critical for our injured."

Commando Tano finished, took a deep breath and waited.

There was no response.

A tense silence took over the bridge. No one spoke. Ahsoka rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. As previously decided, they left the line open as they waited. They wanted to give everyone out there in the fleet, at GAR Command and the High Council a chance to study them, in case they had any doubt as to their identity. Droids could try to fake clone mannerisms, but they could never pull it off for more than a few seconds at a time.

"Did they receive the transmission?" Ahsoka asked Commander Cody quietly.

Cody looked over at Boil at the comms station, and he nodded: "Yes, sirs, our codes are out-of-date, but our transmission went through to all ships, GAR High Command and the Jedi Council."

Ahsoka looked toward Barriss, Cody, and to Rex, who was out of comms visual range. They'd decided it was safest to keep Rex out of sight during the initial contact. Matters were complicated enough already for this first contact. The coming-back-from-the-dead piece would have to be dealt with separately.

Another long minute passed. "What do we do if they don't answer?" Ahsoka asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Patience, Ahsoka," Barriss counseled, the picture of Jedi calm.

The clones had no difficulties with waiting. If they were stressed or impatient, they did not show it. Cody gazed impassively at the screen, waiting for a response. He was a clone trooper, trained to stand on guard duty for hours.

Apparently, waiting was not the strong suit of Skywalker's padawan. After several more minutes had passed, she was at her limit. "Are you sure they heard us? Maybe I should say it all again?"

Cody wondered sometimes how Skywalker put up his padawan. For that matter, he wondered about Rex. The five oh first captain seemed to also have a strong tolerance for her behavior. She was so different from Barriss.

A visual suddenly popped up on the screen.

Cody turned his attention back to the vidscreen, relieved for the sudden distraction.

The entire Jedi Council was assembled either in person or represented by holo transmissions.

"Heard you we did, Padawan Tano," Master Yoda said, his wizened head cocking slightly to the side as he spoke.

"You took us by surprise," admitted Master Plo Koon, with a slight chuckle. "It is good to see you, little one."

"Quite the entrance, Padawan," said Master Fisto, appearing by hologram.

Ahsoka smiled broadly. "Hello Masters! It is good to see all of you," she looked around at all the other faces of the Council, unable to contain her excitement. "We made it back! Do we have permission to land?"

The Council looked back and forth, Mace and Yoda taking a long time in silent deliberation before Mace finally replied. "regretfully, _no_."

Ahsoka's face fell. "But, we have injured onboard. Masters Skywalker, Kenobi and Unduli are very badly hurt. _Please_, they need help."

"We understand your situation," the senior Jedi said in his usual grim serious manner, "however, considering you have been out-of-contact and in the hands of the enemy for months, certain precautions must be taken. And, _these clones_," Mace Windu stabbed a disapproving finger around the bridge crew, starting with Commander Cody and singling out the rest of the renegades from the Ord Cestus medical station, "are wanted for being _AWOL_. We would be remiss if we allowed you to land an enemy ship in the heart of Coruscant without taking adequate precautions." His voice held the severe tone it did when he was about to launch into a lecture. Cody had been on the receiving end of lectures many a time, and he braced himself appropriately schooling his face into a mask of impassivity. "How is it we are not able to detect you on our scanners?"

Cody rose up from his chair nodding to Ahsoka that he would answer these questions. Ahsoka nodded and stepped slightly to the side, making room for him directly center in front of the screen, yielding the prime vidscreen space to him.

"We are in a cloaked ship, General," he said, locking his hands behind his back, like he would when he was delivering any other report.

The Jedi General took a minute to digest this information, not looking pleased. "And, why did you feel it necessary to arrive in such a manner?"

Cody cocked his head slightly to the side, and glanced over for a moment at Rex who simply raised an eyebrow. Cody resisted the urge to roll his eyes at such an obvious question.

He paused for a beat before answering in a crisp command tone. "To prevent you from blowing us up, _sir."_

General Windu's eyes narrowed. Cody met the eyes of the Jedi General with a neutral expression.

"You will de-cloak your ship now," Mace Windu said, his voice containing an edge that was not there before.

Cody knew he was on dangerous ground, but he refused to back down until he knew his men were safe. "I must receive a guarantee as to the safety of my men, first, General," Cody said, looking into the eyes of the Jedi General.

The senior Jedi's eyes widened and Cody could see the shock of those on the Council behind him. No clone had ever dared to speak to a Jedi in such a manner.

"I need your word, General."

He crossed his arms across his chest, facing off against the Jedi General.

In front of him, he heard Boil suck in a breath, and Trapper whipped his head around to stare at him, mouth open as if about to protest. Cody gave a quick handsignal to Trapper, curtly telling him to remain silent.

"You are in no position to make any demands, _Commander,_" General Windu said, stressing his rank. "I will not agree to these demands!"

Cody took his time strolling back and forth across the bridge of his ship, and spread his arms wide. "Respectfully, sir, I have a _warship_ with a cloaking device and two Legions. 12,000 men." He crossed his arms again and addressed the General. "Just reminding you I brought home some very impressive military assets which are poised directly above the planet right now. Trapper, what did you say the payload of this warship was?"

"Uh," Trapper flustered at the unexpected question, "I'm not sure... we never tested the weapons..."

"Ah!" Cody said, seizing the moment, "might be time for a weapons' test then!"

"Are you threatening me, Commander?" General Windu's voice dropped and changed to a tone Cody had never heard before. The bridge grew so silent it sounded as if every clone there was holding their collective breath while they waited for Cody to answer.

"No, sir," Cody said, his tone never wavering, "only reminding you that I have yet to receive your word, General. Amnesty for my troopers."

"Stand down, Commander," the Jedi General growled.

He ignored the General and directed his attention to studying the weapon's station with great interest. "I have no idea what any of these buttons do..." He looked at the General. "You don't happen to read Kaz'harian, do you?" He made a motion like he was going to jab one of the buttons. "Never mind, I'll just guess..."

The Jedi General's voice was so cold it was barely audible. "Commander, you will stand down and prepare to be boarded by troops."

Cody shook his head. "No, General. You do _not_ have my permission to board this ship, until I receive your word. Amnesty for every one of my men. They resume their rightful place in the GAR."

There was silence while General Windu and General Yoda had an entire 'conversation' back and forth in their silent Jedi way of communicating. He waited patiently, still gazing directly at the vidscreen.

"Very well," Windu finally replied. "Amnesty for all of your men. I am coming up to inspect your ship," General Windu said. "I am bringing Healers for Masters Kenobi, Skywalker and Unduli. I will also be bringing a medical transport for the injured clones. You will de-cloak, stand down and prepare for my arrival."

"Amnesty for e_very_ trooper onboard," Cody clarified strongly, meeting the Jedi's eye. If a look could kill a man alone, Cody would've been terminated already.

The Jedi shook his head. "Every trooper, except for _you_."

Trapper gasped, but Cody nodded with satisfaction as if that was Alex what he'd been pushing for all along. "Thank you, sir. We look forward to your arrival." Cody said. "Have a safe journey, General Windu. We are de-cloaking now. Please stand by." He gestured off-screen toward Rex and the Engineering team. "De-cloaking now on the count of five." He spoke slowly and deliberately. He didn't want anyone in the GAR fleet to get trigger happy when their warship appeared again on their scopes. His count of five took double that time, but he wasn't taking any chances. "Disengage cloak."

"Disengaging cloaking device now, sir," Winder said from the engineering station. "We are visible again on scopes."

"Commander Cody, we have you on our scopes. Welcome back sir."

Cody cocked his head to the side, as he tried to discern the individual clone voice. "Gree, is that you?"

The 41st Elite Commander popped up on the vid-screen, and acknowledged Commander Cody with a respectful nod. "Yes, sir. Commander Offee it is good to see you back. What is General Unduli's condition?"

Cody looked over at Barriss, since this was her field of speciality. He left the two of them to their conversation, after all, they worked together. Fek.

The reality of it started to hit him. They were back and Barriss would be headed back to the 41st Elite. It was truly all over.

"Commander Cody?" Gree asked, "can the 41st Elite provide you with any assistance?"

He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Uh..." Fek. He had no idea. His mind was completely wiped out from the conversation with the Jedi Council. "We'll be in touch, Gree. Thank you. Good to hear from you."

"You, too, Cody."

Gree nodded and ended the transmission.

All the other fleet commanders contacted him to welcome them back and offer assistance. The two commanders on board _the Resolute_ and _the Negotiator_ were new to him. But, at the rate they were losing clones in the field, commanders were being promoted at a frighteningly fast clip. New commanders like Appo were rising through the ranks without ever going to command school. Some were ready. Others seemed to be hasty decisions made to fill openings. He quickly accepted all of the comms, taking the last several calls en-route to the hangar bay to meet General Windu.

The two Jedi Commanders, and Ko, accompanied him to meet the Jedi General. He left Rex behind to watch the bridge.

General Windu.

_This should be an interesting meeting._

# # #


	12. Chapter 12 Windu

_Revised: 6/11/15. Revised the interaction between Cody and Ko to define their relationship further and expand upon Ko's character since he will be coming up more in Rex II as the 212th goes into battle. (Always found it odd that we were introduced to so few characters in the 212th and saw so little of its command structure in the series.) I revised Cody's interactions with Windu as I revised feedback the Jedi General seemed too one-dimensional._

_Revised: 1/14/15. Revised this chapter again as there were things I liked in this chapter and things I didn't. Ko and Cody are awesome together. Definitely need more of Ko later on this story. But, I didn't feel I quite captured Windu. I wanted to leave room for him and Cody to develop more of a relationship later on, but I think I overdid it on the 'Windu is being a jerk to Cody' front, so I went back to revise a bit._

**Rex II**

**Chapter 12**

**# # #**

General Windu arrived en force. Cody watched the Republic ships settle into the hangar; a shuttle craft, three identically sized Republic Troop Transports (RTTs) and a medical transport. The Jedi General emerged from the shuttle craft, his robes flowing after him as he walked. He had a different way of moving than Kenobi. His movements were sharp and intense. Windu stopped at the base of his shuttle and looked toward the three RTTs; the first of which opened it's maw and emitted a full squad of troops troops from Lightning.

Standing by his side, Ko provided a running narrative. "There's Ponds. Oh. Gah. Lucky us. Fekkin' Nash is here."

Cody 'hmmphed' under his breath and watched the Captain of Lightning Squadron walk off one of the transports, clearly glare at Cody from under his visor, and then stop at the bottom of the ramp to bark orders.

"And... there's Captain Rome. Looks like the General brought most of Lightning with him," Ko whistled as the final ship opened and they watched more troops disembark. The brown and white armored troops marched down the ramps in perfect even rows. "What did we do to warrant such special treatment? Don't they have better things to do?"

Cody folded his arms across his chest, but didn't comment. He was certain it had something to do with his hard-handed tactics during his previous communication with Windu. Ko was perfectly content to carry on a conversation by himself, and kept up his running narrative so Cody let him keep going. The chatter was soothing on some level. Having Ko around always helped settled Cody's nerves. He wished Kenobi were here to back him up, as well, and deal with his fellow Jedi Master.

During their long campaigns, Kenobi often talked to himabout "the art of negotiations." Sometimes too much so. He knew why they always sent Kenobi out to do negotiations. His General could talk as much as Ko. When he was truly exhausted, he made a point of saying something to spark the two of them into conversation so he could be left alone with his thoughts. But, he was sure that once Kenobi heard what occurred between him and Windu, he was in for a _very_ long lecture and Ko wouldn't be able to bail him out.

Lightning Squadron stalked precisely behind Windu.

And, the Jedi General looked... displeased.

More than displeased.

He had a strange urge to reach for his weapons' belt. He resisted the urge and set his feet at parade rest and locked his arms behind his back. Ko ceased his chatter, and assumed the same formal position, and the two officers waited side-by-side as Lightning approached.

All activity ceased and everyone watched Lightning Squadron approach Cody and Ko.

_Like taking on the Kazzies all over again._

Lightning Squadron was armed to the hilt. In addition to carrying a trooper standard DC15A and DC15s, many of the troopers were also armed with single or duel DC17s on their belts, and the troopers in the back were carrying blast-resistant shields.

"Impressive kit," Ko broke his silence to mutter to Cody, "notice the shields? We could use more of those-"

"_Ko_," Cody hissed, shushing his Captain.

He appreciated what Ko was doing. Part of his incessant chatter was meant to distract Cody and keep him calm. It generally worked in battle situations. But, Cody was trained to take on tactical droids on a battlefield. Not deal with matters of the Jedi Council. Gah.

He took a deep bracing breath and squared his shoulders.

"General Windu, sir, welcome onboard the-" Cody paused. Captain Leon had told him the Kaz'harian name for the ship. It was impossibly hard to pronounce. All harsh syllables that sounded like a terrible Hutt curse. He started trying to repeat the name and saw Windu's eyes narrowing even further with anger.

Just his luck. Windu spoke Huttese.

Cody abandoned his efforts to pronounce the Kaz'harian name of the ship, "-our ship, sir."

"Your ship?" the Jedi Council's members clipped syllables could have flash frozen Orto Plutonia.

_Wrong answer, obviously._

Behind him, he could see Ponds, Rome and Nash regarding him with slightly tilted heads. He didn't mind Ponds or Rome. But, last time he'd worked with Lightning, they'd clashed over the appropriate use of force in dealing with civvies. Nash had a heavy hand.

"Your ship?" Windu repeated again _._

Cody made a sweeping gesture toward the massive interior of the hangar bay. "_We_ seized this ship from the Separatists, sir. It belongs to the _Republic_ now, sir."

Ko immediately launched into a detailed explanation. "The Kazzies had an entire _fleet_ of these. We blew them all up. Made for an impressive sight, General. Explosions everywhere. We could see them from orbit. Beautiful!" Ko was so enthusiastic he rocked back slightly on his heels. His second's enthusiasm was always contagious. Cody could practically see the explosions again as he heard Ko's description.

"It's all in our report, General," Cody said, handing over the datapad.

"Oh, I'm sure this will make _interesting_ reading," the General said.

Cody did not like the stress on the word interesting.

"We collected a great deal of vid-feeds and scans, sir," Ko added in. "Should add greatly to our knowledge of the Kaz'harians. It's all on there." He nodded his chin toward the datapad.

"You completed all briefings and reports?" Windu asked.

"Of course, General," Cody nodded crisply, thankful to Rex who'd assisted with all of it. The man had a surprisingly good imagination.

_I'll bet it is just like they do it in Republic Intelligence._

Cody had always wondered how much truth came out of R.I., and how much of it was a fictionalized version of the truth.

"Take care of the reports," Windu said signaling to Nash. Cody nodded to Ko, and the two Captains stepped away to handle the flimsi-work.

"Take me to medbay. I wish to see the injured Jedi immediately," Windu said, already walking toward the exit of the hangar bay. He signaled to Rome and his men to remain behind in the hangar bay. The troopers spread themselves out around the bay.

"This way, General," Cody said, looking warily at the Lightning Squadron troopers. He could feel the icy presence of Windu stalking directly behind him. As they walked through the corridors, he said privately to Ponds over closed channel, "I see your general is in a good mood, as always."

"_Cody,_" Ponds' voice was full of warning. "You can't push a Jedi General and not expect consequences." The commander's voice was clipped with tension and Cody's stomach twisted even further. He glanced back over his shoulder, taking in all the troopers following them.

"Ponds," Cody pushed, "why all these troops for a simple medical retrieval-"

The commander didn't answer immediately. He inhaled deeply. "Cody, I-"

Their private conversation was interrupted mid-sentence by the Jedi General. "What are the natures of the injuries to Skywalker, Kenobi and Unduli?"

The Jedi General's voice startled Cody slightly and he turned his attention back to the tall dark skinned man beside him.

Cody paused slightly, pulling all the information to mind before he answered so he could give a complete answer. "Dehydration. Malnutrition. Blood loss. Electrocution. The Separatists were experimenting in cloning."

"Cloning?" asked the General skeptically.

"Yes, sir, we don't think they were successful," Cody said, "but all of their lab facilities were destroyed as a safeguard."

"I see," the General said, sounding deeply disturb at the idea that anyone would try to clone Jedi.

"General Unduli managed to escape captivity with the help of the commando, Captain Leon. However, she suffered blunt force trauma to the skull during the initial assault to the dungeons. All of the Jedi are now in healing trances. They have been seen to by our clone medics, as well as Commander Offee," Cody finished.

Windu made a low sound deep in his throat as he listened to Cody's description of the Jedi's injuries.

"And, your clone injured?" he asked.

"Much of the same, except some recent battle injuries thrown in from the final fight. Malnutrition, dehydration, injuries from altercations with the guards. Slugthrower wounds-"

"Slughthrowers?" Rome asked curiously, in the way clones did when they were intrigued by weapons.

"Yes," Cody continued on, "the Kazzies favor projectile weapons, flamethrowers and poisoned gas." He tried to remain impassive, but it still brought up a slow roil of anger that all of this had been used on his men.

There was a short silence as Windu took in all of this information. "Our medics will take the Jedi first, and then the clone injured."

Cody stopped in his tracks. "But, sir, we have an ARC trooper who needs immediate transport to ArmyMed. His condition is critical."

"We will determine the transport order, Commander," Windu said, cutting him off.

"But, sir, the Jedi are all currently stable," Cody argued.

"This is not your decision, Commander," Windu loomed over Cody.

"Sir, our medics specifically said-"

"Cody!" Ponds hissed to him warningly over their private link. "Don't push him any further."

It was too late. Windu whirled on him in the corridor. "Do you have difficulties understanding me, Commander?"

"No," Cody managed, although he didn't understand. Not at all.

Windu continued to stare at him and even though it was only seconds, it felt as if they were frozen there for hours.

They continued on to medbay.

Kix and Coric had already moved forward to greet the General. "Welcome, sir. We have ARC Trooper Echo ready for transport to ArmyMed-"

"They're taking the Jedi first," Cody said, shaking his head.

"They can't," Coric protested, "Echo is critical." He pulled Cody aside. "If you can't pull rank on him, pull medical code on him."

"Ah," Cody brightened, remembering the subsection in question, "so there is." He approached Windu. "With respect, General, sir, my medics are correct. ARC Trooper Echo has higher priority." He quickly referenced his HUD. "According to Article 82, Subsection 12, a medic's authority supercedes everyone in matters such as these, even yours, General, sir."

There was absolute silence in the medbay, a rare occurrence except for the slight whoosh of life support back from Echo's medbay bunk.

"Take the trooper first," Windu said, his voice deep, low, and menacing. "CodeRed to ArmyMed. Use my personal shuttle for the Jedi and take them to the Temple. Return with the medical transport for the rest of the clone injured."

Kix and Coric hurried to load Echo onto a hoverstretcher, as if worried the General might change his mind. They took off out of the medbay, accompanied by one of the medics from Lightning.

The two medics from the 212th, Digger and Glitch led Windu further into the medbay, taking him to see Skywalker and Kenobi.

It was dark and quiet in the back of the medbay where Skywalker and Kenobi were resting. Cody had gone back to visit his General whenever possible and had spoken quietly to Kenobi, updating them on their progress. He told him often the men from the 212th were doing well and recovering, and they were getting closer to Coruscant. He'd also tell him that General Skywalker was looking better, even though he wasn't sure if this last part was true. He stood back, out of the way, as the medics worked together to efficiently transfer the injured Jedi from the oversized Kazzie bunks to standard Republic hoverstretchers. They spoke rapidly back and forth as they worked, speaking a language only medics seemed to understand.

"Cody," Rex cut in on private channel, "hangar bay reports the medical transport has left. Echo is on his way to ArmyMed."

"Thanks, Rex," Cody acknowledged.

"Where is General Unduli?" Windu looked around, frowning as if they were intentionally hiding the Jedi Master.

"She was stable enough to move to private quarters. Commander Offee is overseeing her care," Cody said, "if you'll follow me, sir." They gestured to two of the medics who trailed behind them with hoverstretchers.

Kenobi and Skywalker were already being whisked out into the corridor. As they were leaving medbay, a steady stream of activity followed them out. Coric was already preparing the clone patients for evacuation to ArmyMed. Patients were being roused, and those who could walk were already being helped out into the corridors toward the hangar bay. One stretcher after another was already headed down toward the hangar in an orderly line, awaiting transport down to the surface.

There was a clipped, awkward silence as they walked toward Barriss and Unduli's quarters. Cody glanced over his shoulder again at Lightning Squadron, following constantly behind him. Normally he found having other vode around to be a reassuring sight. But, this was unsettling.

There was no time to speak to Barriss when they arrived at her quarters. As they loaded General Unduli onto the hoverstretcher, his eyes met hers across the suddenly crowded room for a brief second before they both turned away. It would be the last time he would get to see Barriss.

General Unduli was pushed out into the corridor, her padawan by her side, and they were whisked off to the hangar bay. Cody followed behind, along with the other clone troopers. The injured Jedi Generals were loaded onto Windu's private shuttle. It was a tight fit, but they made it. Barriss and one of the medics from Lightning settled into the shuttle to oversee the transport and the doors immediately sealed shut.

Ko and Nash rejoined them on the hangar bay having completed their business of transferring mission reports. Ko stood by Cody and they both watched the shuttle with the Jedi disappear out the force shield headed toward Coruscant.

_General Kenobi. He's out of my hands now._

_Barriss. Gone._

Cody turned to Ko to give orders with regards to getting the clone injured loaded onto transports. But, the orders never left his lips. As soon as the Jedi Transport was away, Windu signaled to Lightning Squadron. They were aptly named because they struck fast and without warning.

One moment Cody was watching the ship pass through the forcefield and the next he was being harshly thrown face down toward the deck. He was pinned with such force he felt his recently injured shoulder dislocate from the socket.

"Fek," he grunted, instantly understanding why Windu had felt the need to bring such huge numbers with him.

"Commander Cody, you are charged with being AWOL," Windu said, looming over him. "You will come to Coruscant and stand trial. You are relieved of duty."

"Sir! You can't do this!" Ko objected, "you promised full amnesty."

"No, the commander was very specific," Windu said in his clipped tones,"he asked for protection for the men under his command. Isn't that right, Commander?"

"Yes," Cody gritted out, his face still pressed into the deckplates, and the armored knee of the Lightning Squad Captain in the middle of his back. He never could stand Nash.

"I wouldn't have agreed otherwise," Windu said, crossing his arms across his chest. His voice held a tinge of respect as he looked down upon Cody. "Somebody has to be held accountable."

Ko was silent, but Cody knew he was calling Rex.

_If Rex comes down here to the hangar, I will kill him._

They'd agreed that Rex would stay out of this. They knew this was a possibility, and they'd agreed that at all costs Rex needed to stay out of sight. They needed to get their injured to Coruscant and they had no idea how the sudden reappearance of Rex would be perceived.

He sensed more than heard movement all around him.

The men from Lightning Squadron were moving into defensive positions. He struggled to see what was going on. He craned his neck to see. "Get off me, di'kut!" he hissed to Nash. He squirmed hard, but Nash only slammed him down harder into the deck plating. "Fek it, Nash. Let me up!"

But, even from this angle he could see what was going on. His crew in the hangar bay had taken up weapons. Many of the men on the ship had stolen Kazzie weapons from the battle, or had found weapons throughout the ship. They'd taken to wearing these on their belts, since no clone felt comfortable without a weapon tied at their hip. Some of these 'weapons' were as simple as a sharp eating blade from the mess, but every clone on the ship was armed. And, they'd all drawn their weapons and were advancing on Lightning.

"Hold!" he rasped out at his men.

"Let him up," Ponds said urgently. He shoved Nash harshly off of Cody's back.

He seemed to be the only one in Lightning Squadron with any sense. He reached down and hauled Cody up by the shoulder. Unfortunately, he grabbed Cody by his dislocated shoulder.

Cody couldn't help yelping with pain as he was pulled to his feet by the injured joint. His cry diverted all eyes toward him, but it worked out.

"Hold!" he shouted again hoarsely, his voice ragged with pain, grasping at his shoulder. He now had the attention of all the men in the hangar. "I'm headed to Coruscant with General Windu," Cody said. He turned to Ko. "Captain, you have the comm."

# # #


	13. Chapter 13 Glorious Homecoming

_A/N: Revised 1/13/15. Revised Cody's dialogue again. I love the interplay between Cody and Ponds, but in re-reading, I felt I could still make it slightly better._

_A/N: Revised 6/30/15. Cut back Cody's dialogue lines in this scene. Decided he would be more subdued after everything that happened and less inclined to chat with Ponds. Changed some of his external dialogue to internal monologue._

** Rex II**

**Chapter 13**

Ponds stripped Cody of his helmet, gauntlet and weapons belt while they were still in the hangar bay of the Kazzie ship. The name of the ship popped in his head, all of those rambling syllables that made it sound like Leon's tongue was at war with itself. _H'ot'e H'ai'm'ol. _The linguistically talented commando had translated it as "Glorious Homecoming." Ironic. His return to the GAR was not glorious, but he was doing what was necessary to protect his men. He never fekkin' cared much for glory anyway.

Cody gestured to Ko, indicating he'd like his Captain to take possession of the gear. Ponds would likely catch flak for letting his gear stay onboard the ship with his Legion, and Cody knew he was doing it as a favor from one commander to another. A man never liked having unfamiliar troopers messing with his kit. Of course, Cody had even more at stake, and he wondered if the Lightning Squadron commander had an inkling there was more going on. Cody hoped he'd sufficiently "cleaned" the data stored on his helmet cam, but he wasn't sure.

Ko met his eyes as Cody handed the items over. "Take care of it," Cody said meaningfully, glancing down at his bucket. When Republic Intelligence learned where his helmet ended up, they still might insist on it being handed over. But, at least now they had the advantage of additional time.

"Understood, sir," Ko said, tucking the bucket under his arm. "I will treat it as my own." He extended both hands and accepted the weapons' belt and gauntlets.

"Sir, I must protest," Nash said, stepping forward from where he was standing in line behind Cody with an eight man squad from Lightning, "standard operating procedure says that gear processing shall be done by Commander Fox upon arrival at the Coruscant Republic Military Base-"

Ponds turned on his Captain. "I am aware of the regs."

Nash still turned to Ko and made a grab for the gear. Behind him, the troopers from 212th Airborne visibly tensed, ready for confrontation.

_The man has less sense than a Gungan_, Cody thought irritably.

"_Leave it_, Nash," Ponds said, "these are...non-standard circumstances."

"But, sir-"

"Back in line, Nash," Ponds snapped, "_now_."

Nash's entire body was rigid as he moved back into place with his squad.

"I need do a weapons search on you before we board the RTT," Ponds informed Cody.

Cody lifted up the one arm he could. "Search away. I carry a few blades."

Ponds efficiently did a standard weapons search on Cody. He came up with four hidden blades, which he also handed over to Ko.

The blades had been a gift from Kenobi. He'd gotten into a habit of gifting him with a fine blade everytime Cody saved his life. Completely unnecessary, of course. But, Cody did appreciate the blades. They were the only nice things he owned, and the only thing that was truly his outside of his armor and weapons, (which technically belonged to the Republic, just like he did.)

All of the men in the hangar bay were silent, watching him leave. They had lined up behind Ko in neat rows at parade rest, following his progress with their eyes. Cody knew this was difficult for the men, but it couldn't be avoided. He kept his head high as he walked beside Ponds, followed by Nash and eight troopers from Lightning.

General Windu stood by the third transport holding up a holotransmitter. Cody could see he was deep in discussion with several members of the Jedi Council. They must be trying to decide what to do next with two presumed dead Legions and an AWOL officer.

Windu signaled to the Lightning Squadron commander, and summoned Ponds to join in the conference.

"Nash," Ponds crisply signaled for his Captain to take his place as Cody's escort.

Cody blew out a sigh and eyed Nash narrowly as the Lightning Squad Captain took his place by his elbow. Nash returned the look, a cold gleam in his eyes. Cody couldn't help feeling there was something not right with this clone. But, he was determined not to make any more trouble. He wanted to get to Coruscant without incident. He focused on getting to the RTT, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

As soon as they walked up the ramp into the RTT, Nash signaled to the front two men in the squad. "Cuff him."

"Nash," Cody protested, "I've agreed to go to Corrie."

The Lightning Squadron Captain ignored him as if he hadn't spoken and repeated the order. "Cuff him."

"Belay that order," Cody countermanded. He used his best field marshal commander voice, honed over years of command.

The two troopers froze, staring back and forth between the Captain and the Commander.

"You're a total shebuir, Cody," Nash grumbled, whipping his own cuffs off his belt to do the cuffing himself. He pulled Cody's arms behind his back and slapped the cuffs in place.

Cody yelped from the sudden, sharp pain of his dislocated shoulder.

_Fek it._

Cody kicked Nash's feet out from under him, sweeping him down to the ground and locked his legs around Nash's neck in a choke hold. The Lightning Squadron Captain sputtered as he tried to draw air. Cody had 240 seconds before the Lightning Squadron Captain suffered any brain damage. The eight man squad drew their weapons on him, weapons snapping into place with a slight 'whoosh' of E-11s all being drawn at the same time. He wasn't planning on harming Nash, only teaching him a lesson.

He mentally counted down in his head, to make sure he didn't actual do the clone any harm, although Nash was a total ass. He'd had this coming for a long time.

225 seconds.

The ramp rang with the sound of an entire squad of armored feet pounding up.

_Your response time could use some work, Ponds. My men could have made it across a hangar in half that time._

"Cody, let him up."

Cody glanced down at Nash. "He's fine. His coloring is still good."

The Lightning Squadron commander gave a small smile of amusement. Windu was furious. He lifted a hand and Cody knew this meant the Master was preparing to use a bit of Force persuasion.

"Sir," Ponds said, stepping between Cody and his General, "not necessary. I've got this." He looked over at Cody. "You've made your point, Cody. Release him now."

Cody unlocked his legs and leapt lightly to his feet, releasing Nash from his chokehold.

Lightning Squadron immediately moved in and grabbed him by the arms. Cody hissed from the pain of his injured shoulder. Nash struggled to his feet, sputtering as he sucked in air.

"Easy!" Ponds chastised, pushing through the squad. "Nash, remove the cuffs."

"Sir," he wheezed out, "it is standard procedure when transporting a prisoner-"

"Nash!" Ponds' voice was full of censure. "Head over to RTT3. We'll speak there in private."

"Sir," Nash said, acknowledging the order. He shot Cody a venomous look and exited the transport.

Ponds slid behind Cody and quickly slid off the cuffs. Cody didn't make a sound, but he sighed inwardly with relief at having the cuffs removed.

"Commander," Windu said, "I trust you _now_ have the situation under control?"

"Yes, sir," Ponds said, "apologies for the interruption."

Windu glared at the 212th commander. Cody stared back, still annoyed over the incident with Echo. Windu narrowed his eyes and the two locked gazes for a long tense moment while the rest of the troopers waited uncomfortably around them.

"We depart immediately for Coruscant," Windu said, turning his attention to Ponds, "You are responsible for _him_." He glared once again at Cody, before turning abruptly and leaving, his robes whirling behind him.

It seemed suddenly quiet in the RTT and Ponds sighed. "Why do you do that?"

Cody was busy rubbing at his sore shoulder. He raised up an eyebrow at his fellow commander. "What?"

"Antagonize General Windu," Ponds shook his head, "he's a decent Jedi, Cody. Give him a chance. You're AWOL. That means _court martial_. You could use some allies."

He signaled to the men around them to get settled around the transport. He steered Cody toward a seat. Noticing Cody's injured arm, he buckled him in and then settled down next to him.

"Dislocated?" Ponds asked, gesturing to Cody's shoulder, as the ship went through the take-off sequence.

Cody nodded.

"Sorry about Nash," Ponds said, shaking his head.

"He's dangerous," Cody met Ponds' eyes. "I wouldn't tolerate someone like that under my command."

"This is not the time and place for me to discuss this," Ponds said, his eyes flicking to the rest of the squadron, listening in to their conversation. "You know as well as I do we rarely get to pick trooper assignments. We make the best with the resources we are given."

Cody snorted. "Then you still have a lot of work to do with that one."

Ponds studied Cody. "Tough talk coming from someone who deliberately disobeyed orders and went AWOL."

The 212th commander blew out a long breath. "I'd do it all over again, Ponds. I brought my men home."

"Two Legions," Ponds said, with a tone that was almost reverent, "You really managed to rescue two Legions worth of troopers?"

Cody gave his fellow commander a weary smile. He nodded his chin upwards toward the space above Coruscant. "They're up there on that ship. About 12,000 strong."

Ponds gave him a small smile. "Nice to see some of our vode coming home for once."

Cody smiled back acknowledging the comment. "It doesn't happen enough."

They were both silent for the rest of the short journey to Coruscant. Judging by the tilt of his head, Ponds seemed to be working on something in his HUD.

The shuttle started the landing sequence and then settled onto the pad. Cody rose up to head toward his fate. Ponds stopped him.

"Listen, Cody," he murmured in a low voice, "you're headed into the custody of the Coruscanti Guard. I know what you did and admire you for it. There may be others who see what you did in… simpler terms. They are stationed here on Coruscant and for them the war is black and white. They may simply see you as a trooper who left his post. You are also the highest ranking officer they've ever had in their custody. You'll need to be..." he paused, searching for words.

"On the lookout for shab'buirs like Nash?"

"Be _careful_, Cody," Ponds said, gripping him by his uninjured arm and steering him toward the hatch. "After I hand you over to Fox, I can't do anything to protect you. Good luck, vod."

Cody nodded.

Fox and a squad of Coruscanti Guard were waiting at the hatch. Fox greeted Ponds, but didn't acknowledge Cody. He took the Lightning's Squadron Commander's place and gripped Cody by the elbow.

"He's injured," Ponds said, "He needs-"

"I know," Fox said, already pulling Cody away. "I read the report you transmitted en route. I'll take it from here." His words were a clear dismissal.

Cody tried to glance back towards Ponds as he was led away, but the shuttle hatch had closed and was already lifting away. Ponds warning rang in his ears.

# # #


	14. Chapter 14 Allies

_A/N: Revised June 14, 2015. Working on a revised outline for this story and taking the time to review all the early chapters in the process. Making minor tweaks here and there. And, for some reason, I had "Ponds" listed as being at the comm station in this chapter, which, of course, would be incorrect since, of course, he would be off with Master Windu and Lightning Squadron. I must have had Chapter 13 on the brain when I was writing this one. I corrected this during the revision._

**Rex II**

**Chapter 14**

_# # #_

Fives watched closely as Kix checked Echo's vitals. He stayed close enough to lend a hand, but far enough back to remain out of the way. The medical transport shuttle was more space than they needed for Echo, but he was grateful his vod was being expedited down to Corrie for treatment.

Kix finished his sensor readings, and gave a quick glance toward Fives.

"Well?" Fives prompted.

"He's holding his own," Kix said, his face not showing any emotion.

It was a medic's way of saying his status hadn't changed.

It would take only minutes to get down to Corrie. Once down at the massive medical complex, hopefully they could find the answers they so desperately needed to figure out what was wrong with Echo. Fives dropped down to one knee and gripped his brother's hand.

Echo felt too warm and his skin felt like flimsi. Fives was almost afraid to touch him, fearing he could injure him easily if he gripped him the wrong way. He murmured to him softly in Mando'a, not sure if he could hear him, but wanting to reassure him he was there.

His HUD blinked with an incoming comms signal. "Fives," Rex started without preamble, "Make sure you or Kix stay with Echo at all times." The transmission ended, not giving him any opportunity to ask questions.

He saw Kix's helmet tilt ever-so-slightly and knew the medic was deep in conversation.

_Rex._

Whatever happened to Captain Rex had been bad enough he felt it necessary to send two men to watch over Echo and warn them both to be extra vigilant.

_Why wouldn't we be vigilant? _he wondered, puzzling over the warning.

_They sent Rex to Kamino,_ Fives realized with a jolt of clarity. _He's trying to warn us they could do the same to Echo._

Kix removed his bucket and studied Fives. "I take it you spoke to Rex?"

Fives ran an agitated hand through his cropped hair. He nodded and glanced back toward the ship's thrusters. They were going through the landing sequence already. He looked toward the nearest port window as the ship descended the skylanes.

It felt suffocating, somehow, to be back here.

"Fives," Kix said, drawing his attention, "there's no reason to think the same thing will happen to Echo…. what they did to Rex."

Fives hissed in frustration and looked down at Echo's pale form. "We don't know that, Kix. Echo is so sick and we don't know the origin. What if-"

"_Stop_," Kix immediately assumed his medic-in-charge voice. Fives quirked up an eyebrow. "We have yet to tap into their research facilities. We can handle this situation. I know it looks bad, Fives, especially after what they did to the Captain. But, Echo has us. We've got his back."

Fives nodded. He rose to his feet and straightened both his kama and pauldron out of habit.

_We've got Echo's back._

He thought over the medic's words.

The hatch opened and he could see the massive logo of ArmyMed visible on the center of the landing pad.

Another thought hit him.

_So, why didn't any of us have Rex's back?_

A six person arrival team from ArmyMed swept onboard and surrounded Echo. They pushed Fives and Kix back. "We'll take it from here." A datapad was thrust into Fives' hands. "Sign here and then you can be on your way. You're going to have to move along. Our arrival schedule is packed today."

# # #

Rex ended his comms with Fives and Kix, trying to push away memories of his time at ArmyMed. Beside him on the bridge, Ahsoka sensed his unease.

"You alright?"

He sighed, drawing comfort from her presence. They'd agree to try and keep everything to a working relationship only. But, he still felt better having her by his side. "I'm fine," he said automatically, straightening his spine.

"Liar," she murmured, giving him the slightest nudge in the ribs.

He remained standing straight, but chuckled slightly within the confines of his helmet. He wanted to nudge her back, if only to touch her. But, she could get away with more than he could. It had always been that way. She had more freedom in her position. And, he could not allow himself to give in to his feelings as he'd done in the lift. "Isn't Master Windu going to be upset you aren't with the other Jedi?"

Ahsoka quirked up an eyebrow. "I think Cody did an admirable job creating a scene in the hangar bay. Not sure they noticed they were short one Jedi." She made this comment a bit louder, since everyone around the bridge already knew what Cody had done. They'd watched it from the surveillance vids, allowing them to see inside RTT3. Rex had been tempted to send a team in to interfere, angered when Cody had been cuffed. He had ops teams working undercover throughout the hangar. But, he'd ended up calling them off at the last second even as they were covertly slipping past Windu's troops and preparing to storm the RTT. Rex was sure Cody's takedown of the Lightning Squadron Captain was already being retold throughout the 212th Airborne.

"I think he enjoyed all of it a bit too much," Rex shook his head. In their days of intense contingency planning before dropping out of hyperspace, Cody had felt it highly likely he'd be arrested for his actions at Ord Cestus. They'd planned carefully around it, focusing on the safety of the troops and getting medical care for the wounded.

Rex had to admit he was impressed himself with the way Cody had handled himself in the hangar bay. The 212th commander was bolder and more willing to take risks than the man Rex had known a few months ago. Now, it was up to Rex to help get Cody's shebs out of the Republic Military Facility.

They'd agreed it would be a wise strategy to leave one of the padawans to run interference with the Jedi. Ahsoka was the logical choice due to her relationship with the Council. For whatever reason, she seemed to be a preferred favorite with them and they could use every advantage they could get.

Ahsoka glanced up at the chrono. "I believe we have a call to make?"

Rex nodded. He gestured to Trapper at the comm station. "Patch me through to Admiral Yularen. He is now working at Republic Intelligence." Rex felt a cringe of guilt for hacking the Republic database after dropping out of hyperspace, but they'd needed current information. Fives assured him no one would be able to detect his hacks. Rex didn't want to know where he'd picked up such skills and would simply assume it was part of standard ARC training. He'd discovered sometimes with Fives, the less he knew, the better.

"Patching you through now, sir," Trapper said.

The vid screen scrambled and then cleared, showing the Republic logo and then the distinctive shield of Republic Intelligence. Admiral Yularen was standing with his back to his screen, talking to several others in an enormous command center. He turned around mid-sentence to take the call. "This is Admiral Yularen, to whom am I speak-"

He stopped mid-sentence and paled when he saw Rex.

"Sir," Rex said, saluting respectfully. He still had his bucket off, ensuring there was no doubt as to his identity. He stood next to Ahsoka, giving the Admiral as much time as he needed to get over his shock.

Everyone in the room behind the Admiral at Republic Intelligence turned and stared, some open-mouthed. Headsets quickly went on and Rex knew calls were being made to the highest levels of the GAR. He and Cody had tried to figure out the most efficient way for Rex to reintroduce himself back to the military. It appeared their strategy was proving effective.

"Captain," the Admiral finally said, "this is... a surprise."

"Yes, sir," Rex acknowledged politely. He could still see a frantic flurry of comms in the background.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" the Admiral finally said, sounding more like the Yularen which Rex knew from his days on _the Resolute. I_t was politically correct speak for_ 'care to explain about this whole coming back from the dead business, Captain?'_

"Would you be willing to come up to the ship to meet with me in person, Admiral? We are in orbit directly above-"

"Ah, yes, Captain, we _are_ aware of your location," the Admiral said, as if their sudden arrival had been the only topic they'd been discussing recently. "A moment, please."

The transmission cut and Rex knew the Admiral was discussing the matter with the highest levels in the GAR.

They waited in silence, but it was hard not to react to Ahsoka's presence while they waited.

"Incoming transmission," Trapper announced, "Republic Intelligence."

Rex huffed out a breath between his teeth, knowing it would be like this from now on. Never enough time. "Patch it through."

"I look forward to meeting with you, Captain. See you in a few minutes." The transmission cut and was replaced with the R.I. Shield.

Rex looked to Ahsoka, and indicated she should walk ahead of him toward the lift. He pushed back memories of their last time in a lift alone, and focused instead on his upcoming meeting. His body still reacted to her near presence, and he could feel his heart racing faster.

Thankfully, Ahsoka's voice distracted him from his thoughts. "You think we'll receive a warmer greeting than Cody did from Master Windu?"

"Not sure," Rex said honestly, "The Admiral is with Republic Intelligence now. I know what kind of man he was before we left, but I don't know what he is like now." General Skywalker had complained often about Republic Intelligence, and Rex's experiences with their operatives had been mixed. He wasn't sure what to make of Admiral Yularen's new posting.

# # #

Unlike the Jedi Master, Admiral Yularen arrived with only a bare minimum clone escort. He arrived on a shuttle, accompanied by no other ships. He walked crisply down the ramp, followed by two troopers for security.

At the bottom of the ramp, he turned to the troopers. "You may wait here with the ship. I require no escort."

"Yes, sir," the troopers acknowledged. Both troopers looked at Rex and Ahsoka closely, making no efforts to hide their curiosity. The Admiral waited, allowing the troopers a few seconds to look. The clones saluted the officers and then headed back into the ship.

The Admiral turned to Rex and Ahsoka. He took a long moment to study the Captain himself, giving him a thorough scrutiny before saying anything. Rex stood at attention, tolerating all the scrutiny.

"Well, it _does_ appear to be you," the Admiral murmured peering more closely at Rex.

"Would you like a blood sample, sir?" Rex quipped. He tugged off his glove and offered up a vein.

"A blood sample?" the Admiral chuckled, appreciating Rex's sense of humor. "Yes, that would certainly narrow it down and prove you are _a clone. _Now, I know it's you. You always were one for the dry jokes, Rex." He grasped Rex's hand warmly, still studying him with amazement. "You caused quite a stir, Captain, with your sudden reappearance." He sighed heavily, and Rex wondered at the heavy weight of emotion in the older man. "It is _very _good to see you." The Admiral he'd known before all of this had occurred was more emotionally reserved. Yularen turned to Ahsoka. "Padawan Tano. I did not think to see either of you again."

He gave the senior officer a long moment to gain composure and then gestured toward the exit. "This way, sir. We have a great deal to discuss."

"I'm willing to listen," the Admiral said. He walked beside Rex, and Ahsoka fell in on the Admiral's other side. "_Where_ have you been?"

"It's a complicated story, sir, but I'll tell you everything," Rex started, "if you have the time."

"Take all the time you need," the Admiral said. "Two entire Legions suddenly reappear that have been missing for two months. I'd say that takes top priority."

Rex walked and talked, intentionally taking the long way to the bridge so he had to time to take the Admiral through his carefully rehearsed version of events.

_I'm doing the right thing,_ he reminded himself.

"This certainly is a massive ship," the Admiral commented when Rex paused to take a breath and they wound around yet another corridor.

"The Kaz'harians don't do anything small," Rex admitted, thinking of all the Kazzies he'd battled and trying to avoid the mental image of Fives' artistic renderings of the simians. He finished up his rehearsed version of events and led the Admiral to the nearest lift. Ahsoka caught his eye in the lift and nodded to him.

_'Well done,'_ she said.

He was going to open his mouth to reply and then realized she'd tapped into their mental link.

Gah. That was yet another thing he didn't want to even think about. It was too overwhelming. He simply wanted to be a normal clone. And, THAT was not normal.

The crew looked up as they entered the bridge.

"Admiral on the bridge!" Trapper announced.

All of the troopers rose as one, standing crisply at attention. Most were dressed in the Kazzie fatigues, but they were still every bit a soldier despite their unconventional attire.

"As you were," the Admiral said, studying the bridge and the men standing at attention at the different stations. "It is good to see all of you again."

"You two have a great deal to discuss," Ahsoka said, bowing gracefully, and stepping back to take the comm with Captain Ko.

"This way, sir," Rex gestured toward the conference room.

"Impressive," the Admiral said, stepping over to the large plast-steel window, and looking out toward Coruscant below.

Rex stood next to him, arms locked behind his back at parade rest. "She's not _the Resolute_, sir. This ship was simply a means to get home."

"Ah, yes, _the Resolute_," the Admiral said, looking out toward the cluster of Star Destroyers hovering near the Kaz'harian warship. He was quiet a long moment, staring out toward the ships. It was easy to spot _the Resolute_ amongst the fleet. "There she is," he murmured thoughtfully, and shook his head. He turned back toward Rex. "Worst order I ever received when I was told to jump away at the Battle of Kaz'haria. Almost all of our troops were still down on that planet and I was _ordered_ to jump away."

Rex was silent a long moment, trying to think of a proper response. He considered his words carefully. He put himself in the boots of the Admiral. "Sir, Commander Cody told me what happened. If the cruisers hadn't jumped away, they would have been obliterated in orbit. By leaving, you saved the few men you had onboard."

"But, at what cost?" the Admiral said bitterly. "We lost all the medical transports en route. And we left two _Legions_ on the ground at the mercy of the enemy."

Never before had Rex heard Admiral Yularen question the orders of high command. It was an unusually frank discussion. He had no idea what to make of it. Knowing that the Admiral was now in Republic Intelligence, he was not sure whether the man was truly an ally.

But, he had trusted the man once. He could only go by gut instinct. "I wasn't there," he finally said, responding with the same honesty the Admiral was displaying. "I regret that I wasn't. Perhaps I could have made a difference."

"Yes, you shouldn't have been sent away," the Admiral said frankly, surprising Rex again with his blunt honesty. It was refreshing to hear a non-clone make this admission to his face.

"Sir," Rex said, touched by the admission.

The Admiral nodded, making eye contact with Rex and then continued. "After Kaz'haria," his voice was raw and haunted, "I didn't sleep. I saw the faces of the five oh first every night. _You_ were a particularly frequent visitor."

Rex blinked in surprise. "Me, sir?"

Yularen nodded. "It was always the same. You all blamed me for your deaths. And, I felt you were right. All of you. I should have done more. I was responsible for all of you men."

To hear someone take responsibility for everything that happened meant a great deal to Rex. It went far to heal the hurt. Yet, now that he'd heard the admission, he felt only compassion for the man. He didn't blame the Admiral. He realized he wasn't sure he _blamed _anyone anymore. Maybe it was time he let go of his anger over what happened.

"We looked for the five oh first and the 212th," Yularen continued, "But, when the searches turned up empty, they reassigned the ship, the barracks, all of the resources, including _me._ I've been with military intelligence for three weeks now."

"Er, how does that work suit you, sir?" Rex asked politely.

"Can't stand it," the Admiral grumbled.

"I did notice you made excellent time when I asked if you could could come up for a meeting."

"Yes," the Admiral admitted, straightening his uniform, "I won't be too upset, either, if this meeting goes long."

Rex chuckled. "Understood, sir."

"So, what can I do for you then?"

Rex indicated they should sit down at the large conference table. "We could use your help in a number of areas, if you're willing."

"Captain, you have accomplished the impossible and brought our men back home. Tell me what we need to do."

# # #


	15. Chapter 15 Prison Life

_Revised: June 14, 2015. (Because everytime I re-read my chapters, I think: "Mmmm... I have an idea...")_

_**Rex2**_

**Chapter 15**

# # #

Cody glanced over at the Coruscant Security Commander. Fox was silent as they walked through the corridors of the Republic Military Base. Cody had worked with him several times before and they'd worked well together. But, Ponds had warned him there might be those who were angered by his act of his rebellion and going AWOL. What some viewed as heroics, others might view as desertion.

_For a clone, it's the difference between a pat on the back and a knife in the back._

Cody's strategy for getting through his time at the RMB was simply to keep his head down and stay quiet.

_I wonder how long I'll be here. Or, if I'll ever get out._

"What are you thinking of?" Fox's voice startled him.

"That I'm in a fekload of trouble," Cody answered honestly.

Fox snorted with laughter, the sound echoing with his helmet. He slid it off and clipped it to his belt, studying his fellow commander. "Yes, you are." He shook his head, and tapped his discarded helmet. "You know, Ponds wouldn't shut up in my ear. He was harassing me about watching out for you, and wanted to make sure you got to Medical." He gave Cody a quizzical look. "So, what did you do to endear yourself so much to Lightning?"

"A few minutes ago, I knocked out one of their Captains," Cody admitted.

Fox snorted again. "You didn't."

"I did," Cody insisted, "with both hands tied behind my back."

Fox shook his head and looked thoughtful. "Was it that shab'buir..." he searched his mind a moment for a name... "Nash?"

Cody nodded.

Fox shook his head again. "There's more and more like him these days, unfortunately. Command clones, too. But, you can't go around punching every clone and General you disagree with, Cody."

"I didn't punch General Windu," Cody clarified.

"No, you threatened him publicly with an enemy warship and two fighting Legions of clone troopers," Fox said. "That is going to go down as clone legend."

"I don't want to be a legend," Cody said, with a weary sigh. "I was just trying to protect my men."

"Fair enough," Fox said, "but you're aware that you're up for court martial?"

"This is the first I've heard of it," Cody said with a grave nod, "but I figured as much."

"I have the flimsiwork. We'll review it in my office once you're patched up." He stopped and indicated the entrance to the RMB MedBay. He nodded to the two guards at the entrance. "Bring him to my office when he is through here." He turned back to Cody. "I have rounds to do." He gave Cody a pointed look. "You might be here a while anyway. You look like fek."

Cody shook his head at the reminder. "Been a long few weeks."

"Been a long fekkin' war," Fox grumbled.

Cody briefly wondered what it was like for the Coruscanti Guard Commander, being stationed away from the active front lines. He likely had an entirely different sort of stress than Rex and Cody, but being on the city planet probably made the front lines look appealing at times. Cody followed the guards into the medbay.

"Sir," the medic greeted him politely when he entered, "Commander Fox told me to expect you. I'm Medic Silver, Chief Medic of the RMB." A jagged scar traced down one side of of his face and ran down his neck. Cody's eyes wandered to it briefly.

Silver noticed Cody's gaze.

"Formerly of the 182nd," Silver offered up, his voice dropped low, briefly touching the scar, "Belgaroth."

The 182 had suffered devastating losses at Belgaroth. They were still around, but he knew they'd been reorganized a number of times. It was becoming more common as battles went badly and troops were shuffled around.

"How'd you end up here?" Cody asked.

"Lost my entire squad and kept getting moved around until I was reassigned here," the medic gestured to Cody to take a seat on one of the nearest medbay bunks.

"Prison life not to your liking?" Cody said with a small smile.

Silver's lips switched in amusement. "Not really. At first I was glad of the quiet, but, I'd rather be in the field."

"Bored?" Cody said sympathetically.

"Insanely so," Silver admitted. "A B-1 could handle everything here. I'm needed out with my vode." The medic started running a scanner over Cody. "Dislocated shoulder. I'll need to set it." He administered a painkiller and a stim to Cody in quick succession.

Cody grunted with relief from the injections and nodded. "Go on."

"Not so fast," Silver said, "unfortunately, here we have to do flimsiwork."

Fekkin' flimsiwork again. "How did the injury occur?" Silver his datapad off his belt, and started typing notes.

"Eh... I ran into the deck plating in the hangar bay."

"You fell?"

Cody's lips twitched. "Not exactly."

Silver sighed. "Do I need to administer a truth serum, Commander?"

"Alright. Fine. I was tackled into the deckplating when they cuffed me," Cody admitted with a sigh. It was embarrassing to admit someone was able to get the jump on him. Especially fekkin' Nash.

Silver took some more scans, this time taking longer to do so. "So, this was an arrest related injury."

"Yes."

"You were resisting?"

Cody yawned and scrubbed at his eyes with his one good hand. "Not at that point, no. I was escorting General Windu back and forth to medbay. We were making arrangements for the wounded. Later on, admittedly, I hit someone."

Silver continued to type, prompting Cody for the rest of his story. He listened with great interest as Cody described the details of the rest of his altercation with Nash.

Cody sighed, wondering what Ponds' and Nash's reports would look like for the same incidents.

_Fek. I could have handled that better._

"Alright, I have what I need here," Silver said, he shook his head, clipping the datapad to his belt. "Another reason I'm ready to head back to the field. It seems I do more flimsiwork than medwork here."

He started rearranging Cody's limbs to reset the limb. "This will be unpleasant."

"Not my first dislocated shoulder. Not even the first one this week."

"Same shoulder?"

Cody nodded, and then winced from the movement.

"I'm going to set you into bacta and have you rest here for a bit. You're suffering from severe fatigue in addition to this recent injury. I'll send the commander my full report. He's always been very good about taking my recommendations," Cody nodded and then winced again.

Cody didn't argue. He was in no hurry to head into a Republic prison cell and he liked Silver. He reminded him of his two top medics in the 212th, Keen and Cavil. He'd lost both of them in the dungeons at Darkknell and the loss still cut deep.

Silver injected Cody with another shot. Cody yelped.

"Diamorpazepamazine," Silver said.

Cody snorted as the medic easily rolled the long name off of his tongue.

_He does sound exactly like Keen. They must spend weeks flash-training them to be able to say those things._

Silver shook his head. "Although from the sounds of it, you are already halfway gone." He continued on. "It's a muscle relaxant. It will ease you through setting your shoulder and help you get some sleep."

He immediately felt the effects. A feeling of warmth spread through his body and his muscles relaxed. As the tension left his shoulders, the pain began to ebb. He felt _much better_. He glanced up at Silver. "I'd get bored, here, too," he said, examining the medbay with a critical eye. "Bored." He repeated thinking the word sounded odd rolling off his tongue.

"I should warn you, Commander," Silver said, "the diamorpazephamize combined with your exhaustion will likely make you feel somewhat… detached."

Cody didn't feel detached. He felt great. "You're a good medic, Silver. Just what the 212th needs. Come back with me. Spend some time with the Attack Battalion. We have some good times there."

"Says the person facing court martial," Silver murmured, arranging Cody's arms.

"Hey, hey," Cody mumbled, "you and Fox make it sound so _personal_." He rolled his eyes. "So, I stole a ship. OK, OK, and we locked the pilots up in a closet. But, we were _nice_ about it. And, we sabatoged the medical station. But, we were _very_ careful about it. And, then we-"

"You should probably stop talking now," Silver said. "This is going to hurt some." He leaned in close to Cody, bracing him against his chest.

"I won't feel a thing," Cody bragged and then yowled in protest as the medic set his shoulder. "Ow! That hurt!" He stared at the medic accusingly. "_Silver_!"

The medic secured the injured joint in place with a sling. "You probably won't remember half of this come morning. Time to take a dunk in the tank."

Cody could barely keep his legs under him as Silver helped him undress and prepped him for bacta.

"Pleasant dreams, Commander," Silver said, lowering him into the tank. He'd rigged the harness carefully so it didn't put pressure on his injured shoulder.

Cody preferred the nights when he didn't dream. But, he was too exhausted to make any comments to Silver and the bacta was rapidly closing in on him.

# # #

"So, you'd like me to intervene with Commander Cody?" Admiral Yularen clarified.

"You have high ranking connections. You're somebody we've worked with before and trust," Rex said.

"I'm flattered by your faith in me, Captain. The charges facing the Commander are serious. AWOL. Desertion. Threat of Republic property. Intentional sabotage of systems at Ord Cestus. The assault and confinement of two Republic pilots. Stealing a Republic Shuttle. Coercing a dozen troopers to desert-

"Sir, those dozen men-"

"Captain, the Commander has made it very clear he wants to take full responsibility for everything that occurred, so it is viewed as coercision. At the very, least he is facing court martial. At the worst," he met Rex's eyes frankly and honestly, "the death penalty. Kamino."

"Kamino," Rex repeated the name quietly, but he still couldn't say the name of the place without it feeling like a curse.

He and Cody had discussed it as a strong possibility on the way back to Coruscant, but to hear it confirmed now that Cody was in Republic custody chilled Rex through to the core.

The Admiral stood up and walked to the window facing Coruscant again. He was silent for a long moment. Finally, he turned back to Rex. "Do you know why the clone army was created, Captain?"

Rex was quiet, thinking about his answer. "I have often wondered."

"I'm not sure either," the Admiral admitted. "But, on a basic level, clones were created to follow orders. An entire Army of men bred for a single purpose. _To follow orders." _He paused for a long moment, still looking out. Admiral Yularen had a thoughtful way about him. "Do you see now why Commander Cody's actions will have such serious repercussions?"

"He acted on his own," Rex said, realizing what Admiral Yularen was trying to tell him.

_Fek. I did that for two months on Ando. _

_I wasn't knocking around the Outer Rim on a scavenger ship like I told you. I was leading a Legion. We were all acting on our own. Clones do that very well. __And, that is exactly what the Republic doesn't want._

"It sets a very dangerous precedent," the Admiral said. "The fear will be it will have a ripple effect throughout the Clone Army if it is not swiftly punished. I will do what I can, but they have been screaming for the Commander's head from the moment he left the medical station. It will be difficult to talk them out of letting him go."

Rex sighed.

"Is there anything else you need, Captain?" the Admiral asked.

Rex nodded. "I need to work out housing for the 501st and 212th. It seems somebody has taken over our ships." He gestured outside toward where _the Resolute_ and _the Negotiator_ were sitting off in space. "My understanding is our barracks on Coruscant have also been reassigned."

"You realize your status with the GAR has not been worked out, Captain?" the Admiral lifted up an eyebrow.

"Yes, sir. But, right now my concern is for my men. And, seeing what I can do for Commander Cody."

"Your loyalty is commendable, as is your dedication to duty. I have always admired that about you," the Admiral came over, and gave Rex a pat on his armored shoulder. It was a rare display of affection from the reserved Admiral. "It _is_ very good to see you alive and well, Captain. I was… deeply saddened when I thought we'd lost you."

Rex walked the Admiral back to the hangar bay and watched his ship take off back to Coruscant.

Trapper came up to him in the hangar bay. "Is he going to help us? Can he do something about Cody?" The concern for his friend was evident in his voice. Rex smiled, knowing how much Trapper fussed over Cody.

"He said he was going to try, Trapper." Rex left out the rest of the conversation. Trapper was worried enough already for the both of them.

# # #

"Move along?" Fives asked in a dangerously low voice. "What do you mean _move along_?"

"Now, Fives, calm down," Kix said soothingly, knowing what the ARC was capable of when riled up. He'd seen both Fives and Echo in action. Having recently seen the carnage Echo alone caused in the control room, he didn't want Fives to take his temper out on the arrival crew at ArmyMed. To them, this was simply a routine arrival. "Let me handle this," he said to Fives privately over an internal channel.

"If they try to separate us from Echo, I will _handle_ them," Fives growled menancily taking a step toward the team. Two security clones stationed at the entrance to the landing pad looked over their way. "_Fives_." Again, the single word was voiced in a clear command tone. Fives stopped immediately, blinking at Kix in surprise.

He took a step back and decided he _would_ let Kix handle it.

"My name is Kix, medic for the five oh first," Kix said, addressing the clone who'd handed him the datapad. "You are?"

"Sergeant Kirby. I handle everything on this landing pad."

"Well, Sergeant, we have been assigned here for the duration of this clone's stay by the authority of Captain Rex," Kix said in a voice that brokered no argument.

Kirby was visibly taken aback. "Captain Rex?" He looked toward Kix in confusion. "Captain Rex of the five oh first?"

"Is there another?" Kix asked.

"No, but, I thought, well, that is... Your Captain... He..."

"If you need to verify his authority, go ahead." Both Kix and Fives crossed their arms across their chests.

Sergeant Kirby studied them both and then gestured. "You may walk with us, while I confirm your orders." He gestured to his team to proceed inside with Echo's hoverstretcher. "I need to get this patient transferred and clear this landing pad." They proceeded into the massive medical complex. Fives and Kix could tell from the tilt of his head he was talking on his internal comm system. After a long moment, he turned back to them. "Admiral Yularen has confirmed Captain Rex's authority on this matter. We will provide you with everything you need during the duration of your stay. Welcome to ArmyMed Medical Center."

# # #


	16. Chapter 16 Final Hours

**Rex2**

**Chapter 16**

"How long has he been in there?" Fives asked as he paced the corridor endlessly liked a caged saber cat.

"Less than an hour," Kix said, "and only five minutes since you last asked."

"How long do these things take?" Fives cast an irritated glance toward the scanning room.

"Could still be another hour, maybe two."

"Two hours!" Fives slapped his armored thigh, the sound echoing in the wide corridor. Several med-techs walking by gave him a wide berth and hurried on their way. He looked at Kix with exasperation. "What could possibly take so long?"

"The scanner uses high-res ion conductance microscopy so it probes living biological cells on a nanometer scale-"

Fives folded his arms across his broad chest and glared at Kix. "You're saying it will take time."

"Yes, as I said," Kix wondered how he could have explained himself any clearer.

They'd been at ArmyMed for two hours and the staff had been accommodating after receiving the directive from Admiral Yularen. They'd been allowed to stay with Echo throughout the admissions process. They'd only been separated when the ARC had been sent for the high-res scan. Fives had grown edgy the moment Echo had disappeared behind closed doors.

"How do we know what they're doing to him?" Fives said, pacing the hallway. "We should be in there."

"We can't," Kix said, "the scan uses high-level radiation."

Fives inhaled sharply in alarm. "Then why are they using it on Echo?"

"Because the benefits outweigh the risks. We have to find out what is wrong with him. Look, let's get some food. We haven't had a real meal since leaving Ord Cestus."

"We need to keep an eye on-"

"We still need to eat. Look Fives, we might end up being here a while until we figure this thing out."

Fives shook his head stubbornly, looking toward the closed door again.

"Come on," Kix said, tugging at the ARC. "They have our comm codes. They'll call us as soon as they are through."

Fives still held his ground, gazing longingly at the scanning room as if he could hurry up the process. He tugged off his helmet and ran an agitated hand through his short-cropped hair. He blew out a long agitated breath. "I should have seen this coming. Back when we were on the ship, I didn't keep a close enough eye on him. If I would have checked on him more often-"

"This is _not_ your fault, Fives."

"Echo is _my_ responsibility."

"He is also responsible for his own health. He knew something was wrong and deliberately hid it. I'm going to have words with him when he is well enough."

Fives let out a bark of a laugh in sympathy. "He's in for one of your lectures?"

"Yes, and it's going to be one of epic proportions."

"Ouch," Fives grimaced in mock sympathy. Kix's lectures were not to be taken lightly. He did feel better for the medic's reassurance. "Thanks," he said gruffly. "Alright, food would probably be a good idea. Whatever they have here is probably better than three meals a day of Kazzie fruit."

# # #

Fives didn't realize how hungry he was until he started helping himself to food in the mess line at the medical center. They'd been given security badges that granted them access to most areas of the center and also covered their meals. The quality seemed better than the fare he usually ate. This was a Republic facility, but Fives had discovered most everything on Coruscant was usually higher fare than what seemed to trickle out to them in the Outer Rim. Since this facility also employed civilian doctors on the staff, the food was likely kept up to a certain standard. Normally, he was bothered by obvious inequities, but at the moment he was so hungry he was grateful for decent food. He stacked as much food as his tray would hold and wondered if his badge would still swipe through if he came back through the mess line for a second pass. It was between meal times so it was easy to find an available table. He'd always noticed that Coruscanti-based folks had a habit of eating according to the chrono, rather than eating when they were hungry. It was an odd ritual, but he'd given up trying to understand the strange ways of non-vode.

He started shoveling in bites of nerf steak as fast as he could cut the meat and get the pieces in his mouth. The meat was drenched in some kind of sauce. He had no idea what it was and he didn't care. Fek. It seemed like he hadn't eaten meat in so long.

"Slow down, Fives, or you'll choke," Kix said, in between shoveling bites of Alderaani stew in his mouth.

Fives chuckled, not slowing down at all. The medic had already polished off one bowl of stew and had started in on a second one.

"Fives and Kix, I assume?"

The two clones looked up, both pausing with huge bites half-way to their mouths. A clone medic was regarding them with an amused grin. He gave them an encouraging look. "Go on, keep eating. I know a hungry vod when I see one." He slapped Fives on his pauldroned shoulder. "Move over. Make room for a brother." He made himself comfortable on the bench next to the ARC, and without introducing himself, helped himself to a dessert off of Fives' tray. "Corellian cream puff. My favorite."

Fives made a grab to get the dessert back. "Mine, too. _Who_ are you?"

The clone medic leaned back, keeping the food out of the ARC's reach. "That's no way to treat a brother." He took a bite of the cream puff. "Mmmm..."

Fives glared at him, looking at the newcomer warily. "Why are you here?"

The medic pulled a datapad off his belt. "Results."

Fives blinked at him.

"From ARC Trooper Echo, his scan," the clone medic clarified, setting the datapad down. He continued to calmly eat the cream puff, licking his fingers. Both Fives and Kix made a grab for the pad at the same time. "Hey, hey, easy! That's my personal pad."

Fives had faster reflexes and picked up the datapad first. He switched it on and stared at it. "I have no idea what any of this means," he admitted after a frustrated moment, and handed it over to Kix.

Kix accepted the datapad and read the results carefully, studying them with careful scrutiny. "This is amazing. I've never seen a scan with this level of detail."

The clone medic grinned. "I know, right? We've only had the ion res scanner for about two weeks. I'm one of only two medics authorized to operate it." He extended a hand out to Kix. "I'm Sly, by the way."

Kix accepted the hand, still absorbed in his reading. "Kix."

"Yes, I know, everyone has heard of the five oh first. And, if they hadn't before, well, they will now after your big return," Sly grinned broadly and tapped his datapad. "Troopers have been rebroadcasting that holobroadcast from Commander Cody. Fekkin' brilliant! Two entire Legions getting themselves free of the enemy after being in captivity for two months. Bringing everyone home with you. Your Jedi Generals. The commando squad. Everyone. And, stealing a cloaked enemy ship, no less! And, then, the way Commander Cody stuck it to that Jedi General. I mean, what clone has the shebs to do that? Every trooper has been talking about it-"

The clone medic was bubbling over with enthusiasm.

"Uh, Sly, can we talk about the report?" Kix interrupted, drawing his fellow medic's attention back to the datapad.

"Oh, right, sorry," Sly said, finishing off his last bite of dessert with a cheerful smile and reaching for another one off of Fives' tray. The ARC pulled his tray back out of reach. Kix offered up a dessert off of his own tray. Sly nodded his thanks and pointed to a piece of data off the pad. "So, it's easy to see what's going on here," Sly said, in between spooning bits of Wasaka-berry pudding into his mouth, "all of the neurologic symptoms are suggestive of central nervous system involvement determinant of pressure on the lumbar area. But, you see, the results were indeterminate. So, even though it wasn't required with this scan, I went ahead and decided to do a second test."

"You did what?" Fives objected. "Why didn't you check with us first?"

"_Fives,_" Kix said, "go on. So you did the second test, what did that one show?"

Sly glanced over at Fives, completely unperturbed by the ARC. "Uh huh, so in addition to the scan and I did a puncture to study cerebal fluid for cell count, protein and glucose levels. This allowed me to cross-reference those results against the the scan results."

"And?" Kix leaned in closer to the pad, "what did that show?"

"Well," Sly finished up the pudding, and looked speculatively at Kix's tray, the medic pushed the rest of his food toward his fellow medic. Sly nodded and grabbed one of the bowls of stew. He tucked into the food and continued talking. "It turns out of the ARC Trooper's Echo's PCR assay and paired serum intrathecal index were _way _out of range."

Kix furrowed his brow. "Out of range, how?"

Fives' stared back and forth between them, not following the conversation and wishing Kix would stop and translate. He gave a huff of annoyance. Kix put up a hand, indicating he would explain all in a bit.

"All of the findings are strongly suggestive of a central nervous system invasive agent of unknown origin," Sly said.

"I understood _that_," Fives grumbled, "unknown origin. How does that help?"

"Hang on, Fives," Kix said, turning to Sly again, "so you're saying we know _something_ is making Echo sick and we know exactly how it is affecting him, but we don't know what it is or how to fix him?"

"Exactly," Sly said, polishing off the rest of the stew, and grabbing a servi-towlette off of Fives tray so he could wipe his face. The ARC glared at him again. "Would you get me a drink? All that food made me-"

"No," Fives growled. "I am not your service droid." He pointed a stabbing finger at the datapad. "So, how does any of this help?"

"It's a starting point," Sly said. "He needs more tests. But, this-" he held up the datapad, "can act like a roadmap. We know where we need to go from here."

Fives looked to Kix for confirmation.

"He's right, Fives. He knows what he is talking about." He addressed Sly directly. "This is excellent work."

Sly shrugged. "Everyone says I'm the best of the best around here." He snagged a piece of bread off of Fives' tray. "Of course, they say that about you guys, as well," he said in between bites. "I think we will work _very_ well together."

"Wait a second," Fives said, "Are you saying we're going to have to work with this-" Fives didn't even have the words to describe the clone medic.

Sly finished off the bread with a satisfied smile and then slung an arm around Fives' pauldroned shoulder companionably. "I can tell we are going to be the best of friends."

"I already have a best friend," Fives growled. "His name is Echo."

# # #

"Up you go. It's almost 0600. Commander Fox will be here soon to pick you up."

Cody opened a bleary eye and peered at Silver. He'd been hauled out of bacta sometime in the middle of night. He'd still been deep in the grips of whatever shot the medic had given him and could barely hold himself up. Fortunately, there had been a second medic supporting him on the other side as they hauled him into the shower to scrub off the sticky remains of the bacta. His rubbery legs would not have held him up on his own. Afterwards, he'd been hauled him over to a medbay bunk and he'd immediately fallen into a deep, exhausted sleep. It felt like he'd only closed his eyes a second ago.

Cody sighed and attempted to push himself to a seated position. His muscles didn't want to respond.

Silver used the automated controls and pushed the bunk upright. He shined a bright light in Cody's eyes.

"Gah," Cody winced at the light, "you're worse than Keen."

"Who's Keen?" Silver asked, taking his vitals.

"Best medic in the 212th," Cody said proudly, and then his face fell as he remembered Keen was gone, "or at least he was. "He was lost in the Battle at Darkknell. Cryseefa gas."

Silver shook his head. "Terrible way to go. You want to talk about it?"

Cody shook his head, feeling the guilt of the men he didn't save on Kaz'haria. He'd failed Keen, the medic who'd saved his life countless times.

"Silver, is he ready to go?"

Fox's sudden arrival interrupted any further conversation. Cody startled and looked around for his armor. He was only dressed in medbay blues. "My armor." He tried to push up and off the medbay table and nearly toppled to the floor. Silver caught him and pushed him back in place.

"You don't wear armor in this place, Cody. Your flimsiwork is still being processed." His face twisted. "You know the Republic. Everything has to be filed in fekkin' triplicate. Stay in those for now," he gestured toward the medbay clothing, "until we get you a proper prison uniform issued." He glanced at Silver. "He need a stim or something? He looks weak."

"Weak?" Cody scoffed, immediately trying to stand on his own to prove Fox wrong. He had his 212th pride, after all. He promptly toppled forward again and both men caught him at once and pushed him back onto the medbay bunk.

"What he needs is about another two days of solid rest," Silver said, "he has severe battle fatigue. And, he still has evidence of a traumatic spine injury from the incursion at Kaz'haria." The medic tapped the back of Cody's neck. "However, yes, I can give him a stim since I know you never leave anyone in my care for long." He pulled a hypo off of his belt and injected Cody in the neck. He addressed Fox. "This will help, but the effects will only last a few hours. After that, he will crash again."

Fox nodded. "Understood. Just need to get the flimsiwork proceeded and then he can sleep in his cell. GAR Command is eager to get proceedings started with this one." He shook his head. "You've caused a stir at the _highest_ levels, Cody."

"Great," Cody grumbled. He tried to push up again and felt much stronger thanks to the stim. He stretched his shoulder experimentally and except for a mild twinge, the joint felt healed again.

"Avoid anymore fights and your shoulder will stay in the socket," Silver advised.

"Not planning on getting in any fights in here," Cody said.

Silver snorted quietly under his breath. Both Cody and Fox heard him anyway, and shot him a look. The medic shrugged. "I see everything that happens around here," Silver said defensively to Fox. "You know how the rest of these di'kuts act sometimes. As soon as word gets around there is a commander locked up with them-"

"That's enough, Silver-" Fox said, sharply.

Cody scowled. The medic was simply reiterating the same warning as Ponds. He blew out a breath, and then nodded to the medic. "Thanks for the help."

"It's been a pleasure, Commander. Good luck in here. Stay sharp."

# # #

"You'll be alright?" Rex asked Ahsoka as they headed into the lift leading down to the hangar bay.

"Yes," the Jedi padawan laughed, "that's the third time you've asked me."

Rex scowled and then scrubbed at his face. "I don't see why you have to head back to the Temple now. The rest of the five oh first is headed back planetside in six hours. Why couldn't the Council wait-"

Ahsoka laughed again. "Rex, when have you ever known the Council to _wait _for anything?"

"I thought they were _Jedi_. Known for their patience."

"You would think so, but no."

"I could accompany you, it is my duty as your Captain-"

She poked him playfully in the chest. "And, you would go crazy every minute you were there, worrying about how the five oh first was getting on. I know you, Rex."

He sighed, knowing she was right. "Comm me on a regular basis, alright? And let me know if you hear anything about Commander Cody-"

"Yes, Rex, we've been all through this," she shook her head, and studied him with a fond smile, ruffling his short-cropped hair, "you haven't changed a bit."

He allowed the brief show of affection for a second before squirming and backing away from her touch. "I _have_ changed," he insisted stubbornly, folding his arms across his chest.

"But, not in all the ways that matter," Ahsoka said, her face lighting up with a hint of a smile.

A claxon sounded to signal an incoming ship landing and they turned to see a shuttle clearing the shield. The ship landed swiftly and two Jedi Rex didn't know emerged, accompanied by two royal guards.

"That's my ride," Ahsoka said, giving Rex a final nod. "Captain."

"Commander."

Ahsoka headed over to the ship, disappearing inside. He watched the ship swiftly depart, feeling the separation between them as clone and Jedi once again. He turned and almost collided with Trapper.

"Trapper," he grumbled.

The 212th trooper shoved a cup of caf into his hands.

"What's this for?" Rex asked, staring down at the plast-cup in confusion.

"Caf."

"Yes, I can see that. Why are you giving it to me?"

"I convinced one of the transport pilots to give me caf out of his galley. This is real trooper caf, not Kazzie caf."

Rex stared down at the cup in amazement. The aroma suddenly hit him. "Trapper," he looked at the clone in gratitude.

"Call me, Trap. My closest friends do."

Rex sighed and took a sip of the caf. "Oh, fek."

"Good?" Trapper asked, watching his reaction.

"You're not going to have any?" Rex asked.

"Nope," Trapper said, "don't have much. Been trading what little I have for stuff all over the ship."

Rex's brow furrowed. "Out of curiousity, what did you trade the pilot to _get_ the caf?"

"Kazzie fruit. I convinced him it was a rare delicacy from the far Outer Rim."

"You're a true Jango."

Trapper beamed from the compliment. "Thank you." He handed Rex a datapad. "So, our new barracks are ready. They said we can start heading down planetside early if we wish."

Rex studied the data as he walked with Trapper back to the lift leading to the bridge.

"These barracks are new, sir. Not far from our old ones," Trapper said enthusiastically, "but these have never been occupied. They're fully equipped with the latest tech."

Rex savored the taste of the caf as he read the report sent over by Admiral Yularen. The barracks had recently been built for the 952 Battalion. But, they'd been wiped out in the Battle of Riordan. Then, the quarters had been reassigned to the 365th. However, the 365th had lost half their forces at Arda and was now combined in with the 875th which had also lost half their number. It was devastating to read how many tens of thousands of clones had died in the two months he'd been gone. He and Cody had brought their men back home, but it almost seemed insignificant compared to the rate at which clones were dying in the war.

"Are you alright, sir?" Trapper asked. Rex realized he'd still been talking, expounding upon the features of the rec room at their new barracks.

"Yes, fine," he stepped out onto the bridge. He wasn't ready to return to Coruscant. Not yet. He needed a few more hours. "We will deploy planet side on the original schedule." He turned to Captain Ko. "Make sure we are ready to turn this ship over to Admiral Yularen as planned at 1300 today."

"Acknowledged."

"A transmission came in for you, sir, while you were down on the hangar bay. The Jedi Council requests your presence as soon as you are planetside. They have questions for you," Denal said.

Rex took a deep breath. _Of course they do._

Trapper appeared by his elbow, a pitcher of caf in hand. "More?" he asked quietly.

Several troopers looked up suspiciously, sniffing the air and gave Trapper a questioning look.

Rex nodded and accepted the refill of caf. He blew out a long sigh.

Captain Ko relinquished the command chair and allowed Rex to sit.

Rex sank down into the oversized Kazzie chair. He'd gotten used to this ship. He looked toward Ko. "Why don't you take a break? I'll watch the comm."

Ko nodded. "Thank you, sir."

Rex sat back in his chair, slowly savoring his caf and reading reports as they came in from various areas of the ship as troopers shut down the ship and prepared to head down to Coruscant. Any problems that came in were routine and easily solved. They were the types of problems he was used to dealing with as a Captain. No politics. The routine of it relaxed him. He needed the soothing ritual of doing something normal. He was sure once he set foot on Coruscant life was about to get complicated again.

# # #

_A/N: Oooh, a deliciously long chapter. I was productive over the holiday weekend._


	17. Chapter 17 A Meeting with the Chancellor

**Rex II**

**Chapter 17**

"Where is he?!" Fives demanded.

"Now, hold on," Sly said, "don't panic. I'm sure this is simply a flimsi mix-up. He was here when I left. When I went on break, they said he would still be unconscious for at least another hour."

"Back up, _still_ be unconscious?" Fives barked. "Echo has not been conscious for _two_ days."

Sly looked puzzled. "Hmmm... that's odd. He was certainly coming around during the scan. I had to sedate him to get him to hold still. He was starting to get very agitated."

"You didn't think to comm us?" Fives backed the medic up into the wall of the scanning room.

"Fives," Kix said warningly.

"You were the ones who ordered this test," Sly said defensively. He looked at Kix. "Call off your ARC."

"You better produce another ARC _now," _Fives growled, "or I will-"

"_Fives_."

The reprimand was clear in the medic's tone. Fives' scowled and after another seriously long growl at Sly, he stepped back.

Fek it all. Kix was doing it to him again. He definitely had to talk to Rex about Kix. Something had happened to their medic. Although, if this fekkin' Coruscanti medic didn't produce Echo, something was about to happen to him, too.

Fives yanked off his helmet, and ran an agitated hand through his hair. He turned to Sly. "Are these rooms monitored?"

"Of course," Sly said, "there are cams everywhere. You think they trust-"

"Spare me the fekkin' commentary. Show me where everything is monitored."

"That's a restricted area."

"It just became unrestricted," Fives said, giving Sly a shove down the hallway.

"I could get in trouble for this," Sly objected, he looked to Kix for help.

Kix shrugged and pointed at Fives. "You have more to fear from _him _if we don't find Echo."

"What's so important about this _Echo _anyway?"

"Echo is my _brother_," Fives hissed.

"We're brothers, too," Sly pointed out.

"We are _not_ brothers," Fives dropped him in disgust, letting him go. "That title is earned."

Sly slunk back into place, next to Kix. "What did I do?"

Kix raised up an eyebrow and looked over at Sly. "It takes a while to win over Fives." He shook his head. "Be careful what you say about Echo. Fives is very protective of him. They were part of the same squad at Kamino. The only surviving members."

Sly looked thoughtful. "I was never close to any of my squad brothers. They're all scattered the galaxy now on different assignments. None of us kept in touch. Not sure if any of them would care if something happened to me. I never had _that_ kind of brother." He looked at Kix curiously. "Does he care about what happens to you, too?"

Kix gave a confident nod. "He does."

Sly took all of this information in thoughtfully. "I don't seem to make friends easily. I always thought it was because I'm a medic."

Kix chuckled under his breath.

"What?" Sly looked over at him.

"Medics can make friends, Sly," Kix said.

Fives reached a fork in the corridor and turned right without looking back.

"How does he know where he's going?" Sly asked.

"He doesn't," Kix said, "he trusts that if he is going the wrong way you will tell him."

"I could lead-" Sly began, making a move to push ahead of Fives.

Kix put a restraining hand on the Coruscanti medic and shook his head. "Probably not a good idea."

Sly deferred to Kix. He pointed. "It's there up ahead," he called Fives' attention to a room up at the end of the corridor, "The Master Security Office, but as you can see, it's guarded."

"Stay here," Fives said to the two medics. "Look busy."

Sly tugged on Kix and pointed to a supply closet. They slipped inside.

Fives walked boldly up to the guards. "I'm here to check the surveillance vids of scan room 28116B." He continued walking on through into the room, without even pausing or waiting for permission.

Kix and Sly watched from the slightly opened door of the supply closet.

"Incredible," Sly said, "even I believed him."

A few minutes later, Fives emerged. His face was neutral, but Kix could see the blazing fury in his eyes. As he passed by them in the corridor, they slipped out of the closet, and followed him.

"Fives?" Kix questioned.

Fives slid on his bucket and Kix did the same.

"He _walked_ out of there," Fives hissed.

Kix made a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat, his mind already trying to figure out the medical implications.

Fives continued on. "The scanning tech left the room for a caf break and Echo slipped out the door. He must have been awake for some time, simply waiting for an opportunity."

"Did he show up on any of the other surveillance vids?" Kix asked.

"As soon as he went out into the corridor, he blended into the crowds. He's an ARC. He's trained for any type of scenario."

"Where would he go?" Kix asked. "Even if he's conscious, he's not going to last long."

"My guess is he thinks he's on a covert op," Fives said. "His behavior indicates he is in stealth mode."

"Stealth mode," Kix murmured thoughtfully.

"What are you two discussing?" Sly said, "it's rude to put your helmets on, you know, around non-helmeted clones."

"Can I hit him now?" Fives asked Kix over closed channel.

Kix slid his helmet off. "You were correct about Echo regaining consciousness. We believe he may be suffering delirium from the effects of the unknown microbe in his system. He left the scanning room under his own power."

"So, he walked off," Sly looked thoughtful, already pulling out his datapad, "and is wandering somewhere in the building."

"Unless he escaped out into the streets of Coruscant," Fives said grimly.

"Impossible," Sly said confidently, "patients are giving tracking bracelets so we know where they are at all times. There were some… concerns after an entire ship went missing a few months back en route to Kamino. Now, all ArmyMed patients are required to wear tracking devices. They're virtually impossible to get off. I fitted Echo with one myself."

"Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Sly shrugged defensively. "I said I would find him. I was going to take you to the tracking station next. Come on, this way." He frowned at Fives disapprovingly. "But, your manners could use some improving... ARC barbarian."

Fives and Kix slid their helmets back on.

"I'm going to kill him," Fives said, making a menacing nod in Sly's direction.

Kix chuckled.

"You think this is funny?" the ARC asked incredulously.

"I was trying to think of what we're going to say when Rex calls in. Our only directive was to _not_ lose Echo," the medic's voice became a dry, harsh laugh again.

"This is not funny, Kix," Fives said, his voice tight with tension.

"I know it's not, but, I've had to learn to take my laughs where I can. It's the only way I've been able to keep my sanity in this war because there is not much fun about being a medic." He sobered up and gave the ARC an encouraging slap on the pauldron. "We'll find him, OK?"

"_Don't lose Echo_," Fives grumbled, "as if it is that simple. Rex should try keeping tabs on him sometime."

# # #

Echo's transmitter stopped emitting a signal a short time later. Fives' used Sly's datapad to lock down the lifts to deny Echo access to any system at ArmyMed. An hour later, they found Echo passed out in a stairwell leading to the outside. He'd made it down a dozen flights of stairs, and his blue medical issue pants were stuffed full of improvised weapons. He'd discovered the tracking device on his anklet and must have been working to dismantle it when he passed out. The covering was off on the display panel and the wiring exposed. Still gripped in Echo's hands, were several small metal wires he'd bent into tools. His fingers were bleeding, likely from prying off the panel.

Sly whistled, looking at the deactivated tracking device. "Impressive. I've never seen anyone do _that _before."

Fives didn't comment.

Kix knelt down next to Echo, quickly bandaging his bleeding hands. Sly dropped to one knee and pulled out his scanner. He started reading off vitals at a rapid fire rate. Kix nodded. Sly looked up. "We should get him to a treatment room and administer-"

Kix was already sliding his med-pack off his back. "I carry my treatment room with me."

"Is that adrenacortazine?" Sly asked, looking at the hypo in Kix's hand.

Kix shook his head. "EGDT. We tried the adrenacortazine back onboard the ship and he was non-responsive. I think it may have even contributed to his catatonic state."

The Coruscanti medic looked thoughtful. "So, we can't overstimulate his system, then. The responsiveness to the EDGT indicates the unidentified microbe is something akin to sepsis."

Kix nodded. "My thinking, exactly."

"You're familiar with nociceptin?" Sly asked.

"Of course," Kix said, not looking up from where he was carefully listening to Echo's breathing, "nocicipetin is involved in inflammation; it affects how white blood cells work." He glanced up at his fellow medic. "What does that have to do with Echo?"

Sly's lips quirked up with a smile. "Ah, so you haven't heard then of r-h-aexin A5?"

Kix looked up with interest. "No. I've been in the far Outer Rim. We're the _last_ to hear of any of these things." He set his scanner back on his belt and gave Sly his full attention. "I'm listening."

"The theory is that nociceptin has an important role in the body's response to inflammation and sepsis. r-h-aexin A5 blocks the nociceptin system-"

"-reducing the symptoms of sepsis," Kix finished, immediately getting the concept, "can you get a hold of some?"

"It's experimental," Sly said, pursing his lips.

"If it exists, we can get a hold of it," Fives said, folding his arms across his chest.

Sly shrugged, "Well, at least things won't be so dull around here anymore with the three of you around. I'll comm for a hoverstretcher."

"No need," Fives said, lifting Echo up in his arms. He looked at Kix, ignoring Sly once again. "Where do we go from here?"

"I'll need to defer to our resident medic," Kix said. "Sly?"

Fives scowled.

Sly spoke quietly into his comlink and awaited a response. He turned to Kix and Fives. "This way. There's a room prepared for Echo in the infectious disease ward. Quarters have been prepared for you over in the medic barracks." Sly smirked. "You'll be bunking not far from me."

"Fek no," Fives said, not moving. "Echo is not going into some disease ward. He was on the same ship as two _Legions_ coming home. Are you going to isolate the entire 501st and 212th?"

"Fives," Kix hissed in a warning breath, "let's not give them any ideas."

"We are not staying separate from him," Fives continued, "and there is no way I am staying anywhere _near_ you." He turned to Kix. "I think Echo has the right idea. We should get the fek out of here."

"And where will you go?" Kix stepped in Fives' way, preventing him from leaving. "We have _no _ship. No medical facilities. No place to call to our own. How are we going to help Echo?"

Fives frowned fiercely, the muscle in his jaw working as he looked down at his unconscious brother.

Next to them, Sly continued to talk quietly into his comlink having a rapid conversation back and forth.

"Who is he talking to?" Fives hissed, looking like he wanting to attack the Coruscanti medic again. He stepped closer to Sly, but couldn't do anything to harm him since he had Echo in his arms.

Sly finished his conversation and glanced up. "I called in a few favors. More than a lot. You owe me." He shook his head. "I don't even know why I am doing this." He gave Fives a disapproving look. "You haven't been very nice to me."

The innocent way in which he said it reminded him of the way his squad used to speak when they were at Rishi Outpost. Fek. This di'kut is nothing more than a shinie. It was harder to hate him when he saw him for what he what he was. Fives always had a soft spot for shinies. When he'd train with the five oh first, Rex would assign them to him because he brought them up to Legion standards faster than anyone else and the ones he trained tended to actually stay _alive _past their first month. More than once, Fives had risked his own neck in battle to protect a shinie. He couldn't help it. Shinies reminded him of the brothers he'd lost in Domino.

Fives took a bracing breath. "Alright, I'm listening."

Sly blinked in surprise. It was the first time Fives had used a civil tone with him. Even Kix looked at him with an upraised eyebrow.

Sly proceeded cautiously as if unsure whether he was approaching a trap. Fives watched him carefully. The clone didn't have half-bad instincts. "I had Echo moved out of the infectious disease unit," he began slowly, still studying Fives for a reaction. The Coruscanti medic continued on, pulling out his datapad. "I had him moved over to the new senate wing." He pointed out the location.

"What is that?" Kix questioned.

"It's our showpiece medical area that we use for tours when we bring senators through to show them what good care we are taking of our clones. It looks very different from the rest of ArmyMed," he scoffed. "It is the only part of the medical center they ever see, but they don't know it. They get their holopics with a bunch of sick clones and some high-tech equipment and then they go about their day, none the wiser. We've done the tour dozens of times already. Echo will get a private room there. I'll have cots pulled in and you can stay with him." He hesitated, looking at Fives. "It's not far from here."

Fives nodded with approval, allowing Sly to take the lead. "Go ahead, shinie."

Sly didn't object to his new nickname from Fives. As they retraced their way up the steps, the Coruscanti medic gestured to where Echo had pried off apart his tracker electronics. "Do you think you could show me how to do some of this?"

Fives gave Sly a thoughtful look in consideration. "I'll make you a deal, Shinie. You help us figure out what is wrong with Echo, I'll teach you skills you didn't even know existed."

# # #

The transfer off the ship went off without a hitch. Admiral Yularen arrived at precisely 1300 with a dozen troop transports. None of the men had any supplies or gear, except for the men from Ord Cestus, who were wearing their kit. It took only minutes to load everyone onto the ships, the men marching onboard in crisp even rows as the Admiral and two Captains stood back and supervised everything, with a small contingent of personnel from Republic Intelligent looking on. Rex caught the Admiral glancing back at the grey-uniformed officers, and the black ops clones with them, a tick in his jaw working.

As the hangar completely emptied of his men, Rex turned to the Admiral: "The ship is yours now, Admiral." He gave the Admiral a formal salute.

"Actually, Captain," the Admiral said, glancing again toward the personnel from Republic Intelligence, "the ships is _theirs_ now."

Rex raised up an eyebrow. He didn't suppose he cared much what happened to the Kaz'harian technology. The ship was the property of the Republic now. "Yes, Admiral," he said, giving a deferential nod, he turned crisply on his heel and followed the last of his men toward the transports.

Admiral Yularen fell in step beside him. "Actually, Captain, you and your men have been assigned to my keeping. I will be going with you to Coruscant."

Rex smiled. "Yes, Admiral." He cocked his head to the side, regarding the older man next to him. "Any chance we'll be getting a ship again soon?"

"Discussions are already underway," the Admiral said. "Are you eager to get back to work? You haven't even set foot back on Coruscant."

Rex looked thoughtful, considering the older man's words. "Not sure Coruscant ever felt like 'home,' sir." He looked at the Admiral. "But, _the Resolute_ did."

The Admiral studied Rex for a long moment before answering. "Yes, Captain. It did."

The two officers entered the troop transport together.

# # #

Cody could feel every eye on him as he walked the corridors on the way to his cell. They passed row after row of prisoners in cells.

"Fek," Cody grumbled, "how big is this place?"

Fox snorted. "There's three million clones, Cody, and they lock them up for all manner of infractions. Plus, they use this facility for other types of prisoners at times, as well. They decided to build on a _grand _scale. It seems to be the way of our _Chancellor_."

Cody kept his opinions of the Chancellor to himself. He'd only been around him a couple of times, usually accompanying General Kenobi on formal assignment. There was something about the man that rubbed his clone instincts the wrong way. He'd considered that perhaps maybe he didn't like politicians as a lot since they were the ones who seemed to keep mucking up the war. But, he didn't mind General Kenobi's friend, Senator Organa, and had spent enough time in his presence. Sounded like Fox wasn't a huge fan of the supreme leader himself.

"Ponds was right," Fox said to Cody in a low tone. "You'll need to be careful in here. There's never been a high ranking clone in here before. I'll assign extra guards, and I'll watch your back as much as possible. But, you'll need to be vigilant at all times, especially in the public areas. If you want, I can have you isolated, and have all your meals brought to your cell-"

"I can handle myself." The thought of not being allowed to leave his cell was too much. He had no idea how long he was going to be here.

"Not sure you have any idea what you're up against in here, Cody." Fox palmed the door of a dull grey cell that looked identical to all the others and gave him a gentle shove inside. "In you go, this is home for you until I'm given orders otherwise."

# # #

Chancellor Palpatine shook his head as he studied the vid broadcast.

"This is _very_ disturbing. It sets a dangerous precedent." He looked at the Vice Chancellor, Mas Amedda, tapping his chin thoughtfully, and rewound the holovid again. He tapped the screen. "This Commander Cody _threatened _a senior member of the Jedi Council." He turned to Amedda. "Where is he now?"

"He has been locked up at the Republic Military Base, pending court martial." Amedda studied a flimsi in his hands. "However, his court martial is based upon charges of AWOL and desertion."

The Chancellor lifted up a brow in surprise. "That is _surprising_. He is Master Kenobi's commander, is he not?"

"Yes, apparently, he deserted to rescue his General, when Republic forces could not locate him."

"Yes, the missing _Legions_," the Chancellor reached his hand out for the flimsi. He read through the information, the frown lines on his face growing deeper and deeper. "This shows a level of initiative unprecented in clones. I will need to speak with Taun We."

"The vid broadcast was seen fleetwide. I've heard rumors clones are rebroadcasting the material among themselves."

Palpatine pivoted in his chair, looking out the expansive windows of his office into the Coruscant night sky, his face pensive. He then swiveled back around after a long moment and restarted the broadcast again, freezing on the image of Cody. "He's at the RMB, you say?"

Amedda nodded.

"I've heard that can be _a dangerous place_," the Chancellor said, his voice low and soft.

Amedda's lip curled up in a slight smile.

"It would be most _unfortunate _if something were to happen to such a _free-thinker," _the Chancellor continued, his gaze still fixed on Cody. He handed the flimsi back to Amedda.

Amedda nodded and bowed. "Yes, Chancellor. Most unfortunate." He quickly left the room.

Once he was gone, Palpatine played the rest of the holovid again, once again freezing on the image of Cody. "Yes, Commander," he murmured, resting his chin on his calmly folded and perfectly manicured hands, "your little clone rebellion ends now."

# # #

_A/N: Gah. Another long chapter. I am giving you an advanced warning that at the beginning of August, there will be no update because I'll officially be on vacation. So, consider these long chapters a story "advance" to tide you over. _


	18. Chapter 18 Betrayal

**Rex II**

**Chapter 18**

Cody was bored.

Everything had been a blur of constant activity since departing Ord Cestus to rescue the General. Even during his time at the medical station, his life had been scheduled. As soon as Barriss arrived, he'd constantly been in therapy. (Eh, almost constantly. But, he'd promised himself he wouldn't think anymore of those _other_ times.) His hours in the GAR had been spent training, sleeping, eating, fighting or unconscious, but he was never_ idle._

He stared around at the slate grey walls.

Fek. Who picked this color scheme? The RMB made the bland design of Kamino and the cruiser interiors look _cheerful_.

And, he missed seeing 212th orange. Gah. He'd even started to get accustomed to the colorful jungle greens of the Kazzie cruiser. This place was morbidly _depressing_. Like death designed into a building.

He stared down into the black floor broken up with squares of red. The color reminded him perfectly of every Sith saber he'd seen. He shook his head, trying to shake off his morbid thoughts. He might not survive, but the General would likely live on. He'd do something about those Sith. He'd talk to Cody about them sometimes over a cup of caf when they were alone and he needed somebody to simply _listen_.

Cody blew out a sigh and considered walking _more_ laps around his cell.

He'd paced around the rectangular room exactly 212 times, run through full calisthenics and then started again. And, again.

Gah. He was already going mad and it was only his first full day here.

He stared in frustration at the humming blue force shield at the top of the steps.

A prisoner. Locked up by the same Republic which created him. Aw, fek, when had he ever been free anyway?

He sighed irritably, sat down on his bunk and buried his face in his hands. He had too much time to _think_ in here. Thinking wasn't always good for a clone.

When Cody spent too much time thinking about his life, he realized there were a number of things _wrong_ with it. Yet, trying to change anything would end up with the same situation he was in now. Court martial and possible termination.

There were no happy endings for clones.

"Commander, let's go."

His reverie was interrupted by the force shield dropping.

"Go where?" he didn't recognize this guard. The armor markings were slightly different. Fox had introduced him to his guards in the morning when he dropped him off. "What happened to Switch and Flak?"

The trooper made a clumsy dismissive wave with one hand. "Sent over to the Senate Building. Commander's orders. Come on, move it."

Cody didn't budge. He folded his arms across his chest. "Tell me where I'm going."

The two guards looked back and forth at each other. There was a longer than average pause and it was clear they were having a lengthy conversation behind their helmets. Fek. It was annoying to be left out of the conversation. What were they saying about him anyway?

The first guard walked in and grabbed him by the arm. "To the main mess."

Cody dodged away from the guard. "_Who_ are you?" he asked suspiciously.

The two guards hesitated and looked back and forth at each other again.

"Murgh," said the first guard.

"Akirono," mumbled out the second one.

Cody frowned. "What kind of name is that for a clone?"

"You ask too many questions," hissed the guard. He grabbed at Cody.

Cody pulled his arm back defensively. His shoulder was only healed that morning. He didn't need anyone yanking the joint back out of place. "Don't touch me," Cody grumbled.

He might be a prisoner here, but he was still a _commander_. Maybe he needed to teach these two a bit of _respect_ like he did Nash.

He walked out between the two guards, relieved to be out of his cell. They walked along in awkward silence with Cody between them. Normally, he could always find something to talk about with another brother.

Not anymore, it seemed.

The walk seemed to take an eon.

The two guards kept exchanging glances back and forth. Several times they turned to stare at Cody. His ARC senses were tingling.

"How far is it to this mess anyway?" he asked.

Neither of the guards answered. Cody glanced around at his surroundings. There were no cells in this part of the RMB. It appeared to be a remote service corridor and the lighting was dim.

"Hey! I asked a question," Cody said, "the least you can do is answer-"

The two guards looked at each other again, then suddenly stopped. Cody caught a glint of metal as Murgh ejected a vibroblade. Akirono slipped behind him and pinned his arms, clicking binder cuffs on his wrists.

"Hey!" Cody yelled.

"For the _Republic_," the guard taunted in his ear, as Murgh rammed his blade toward Cody's abdomen.

Oh, fek no.

Cody used Akirono's pinning him for balance and threw his body in a 360 degree spin up and out of the way. The blade only grazed him. He still grunted as he feel the durasteel cut across his gut.

"_For the 212th Airborne,_" Cody hissed back, as he came down from his spin and viciously head butted Akirino. He heard the satisfying crack of plasti-armor giving away. The guard immediately dropped and Cody knew it was a kill strike. The moves he had been taught as an ARC trooper were take no prisoners.

He turned his attention to Murgh.

The first guard realized now Cody would not go down easily. In the split second his attention had been on Akirino, Murgh pulled out his blaster in his right hand, the other still brandishing the vibroblade.

Cody didn't hesitate.

These clones were out to _kill_ him.

He focused on the blaster since it presented the greater threat. He whipped up his leg and cleanly snapped the clone's scaphoid bone. The blaster clattered to the floor from his useless wrist. Murgh howled in fury and launched himself at Cody. In a lucky swipe he managed to catch Cody through the bicep with the vibroblade.

Cody saw black from the shock of the stabbing pain and gasped. He didn't hesitate and immediately kicked Murgh backwards into the corridor wall, dislodging himself from the blade. The clone lay back stunned.

Gah. Ow. Ow. Ow.

Blood rushed down his arm. He focused his attention on getting loose from the binders. It took several precious seconds to slip out. He threw the binders to the corridor floor and clasped a hand on top of his arm, trying to stem the rapid rush of blood.

_Fek. I hope the shabuir didn't get lucky and hit an artery. _

Murgh started coming around again. Cody turned his attention back to the clone. The familiar sound of armored boots running full tilt on a polished floor told him their fight was about to be interrupted. Murgh heard it, too, and he yanked a thermal detonator off his belt.

_What is a Coruscanti guard trooper doing with a t-det? You don't need explosives to protect senators._

Murgh's fumbling movements suggested he wasn't comfortable with using the device. He stabbed at the arming switch, trying to get it to activate.

"Fek, no," Cody said, refusing to be obliterated along with half of the RMB. He leapt on Murgh and they wrestled for control of the explosive.

"Cody! Stand down!" Commander Fox shouted across the corridor.

A piercing alarm came off of the explosive.

Brilliant. Murgh figured out how to arm the t-det. Cody continued to fight Murgh for control of the explosive. He caught sight of the timer. There were only seconds until it detonated.

"Cody! Stand down or I will fire!" He took a precious micro-second to look back over his shoulder at Fox.

Aw, fek.

The Coruscanti Commander and two full squads from the guard had their weapons trained on him with high-powered assault rifles.

_So, this is how it ends._

He snapped the clone's neck and grabbed at the t-det, hitting the kill switch.

"Fire!"

He threw Murgh's armored body up to absorb the worst of the blaster fire. He was surrounded by a hail of blue bolts.

He thought of Barriss and General Kenobi.

Gah. Ow. One of the shots slipped past his "cover" and burned into his thigh. He hunched himself up as small as possible.

"Commander, look!"

"Cease fire!"

He stayed down, not moving. He coughed from the smell of burnt plastoid. And, another smell. Murgh smelled _awful_. And, it wasn't the same smell as clones burnt on the battlefield. Cody knew that smell all too well.

Fox came over and lifted the armored body off of him.

Cody still didn't dare move. Fox and his men had _shot_ him.

"Get Silver down here _immediately_."

Fox pried the t-det out of Cody's hands, and examined it. "You deactivated it," he murmured.

Cody finally dared to look up and met Fox's eyes. "Of course I deactivated it, you di'kut," Cody grumbled. He slowly started to pull himself into a seated position. Fox grabbed onto him to help him up. Cody groaned. He gestured toward the dead clone. "This shabuir was trying to blow up the whole fekkin' place."

"I suppose I owe you an apology," Fox said, shaking his head. He pulled the medpack off his belt, hastily wrapping a bandage around Cody's bicep to stem the worst of the bleeding. He rolled the burnt and charred clone onto his back, and tugged off his helmet. He hissed with disgust as the face of Cody's attacker was revealed.

Cody leaned forward and examined Murgh with interest. "Unless someone has been messing with Jango's genes, that's no clone."

"My guess is he's a bounty hunter," Fox shook his head. He pointed inside Murgh's helmet. "Voice modifiers so they sound like clones," he pointed out all the extra wiring inside the helmet.

Cody glanced over at Akirino. He couldn't see the other 'clone' because he was surrounded by a group of Coruscanti guard. "I take it he's no Jango either?"

Fox nodded. "One of my men pulled of his helmet to check to see if he was still alive. It was what alerted us to stop firing."

Cody shook his head. "Good timing."

Fox turned to his second-in-command, his voice conveying his agitation at the whole incident. "Where the fek did they get Coruscanti guard armor? And, find me Switch and Flak!"

Silver came around the corner at a run, medkit in hand. The mutilated 'clone' body was being hauled away and Silver looked at the armored form in alarm.

"I'll explain later," Fox said. He pointed to Cody. "Tend to him."

Silver gave Cody a wary look, quickly surveying the all the blast damage to the hallway. The medic was silent as he cleaned the cut on Cody's chest, and then looked at the bicep wound critically. "This is deep. It penetrated all the way through. He needs-"

Fox shook his head. "He's not going to medbay."

"But-"

"He's headed straight back to his cell, and that's final. Patch him up here."

Silver gave Cody a questioning look that said: "What did you do?!"

Cody blew out a sigh and closed his eyes, leaning back against the corridor wall. He didn't have the energy to explain himself. Silver treated the blaster wound on his thigh and carefully cleaned and applied sealant to his bicep, closing up the wound. As he administered a stim and painkiller to Cody, he continued to study him critically, as if trying to figure out whether he could trust him. Cody watched it all through weary half-open eyes, listening to the conversation back and forth between Fox and his second-in-command.

"Commander, we found Switch and Flak."

Cody suddenly sat up. He was concerned his two assigned guards had been found _dead. _But, the two clones came around the corner, escorted by a third guard member.

"Sir!"

"Where the fek have you been?" Fox demanded.

"Escort duty for the Chancellor," Flak said, "told the orders came directly from you."

"Our comlinks went down as soon as we arrived," Switch said. "We had no idea anything was wrong until Squawk came looking for us."

Fox's fist clenched in frustration. "I _never_ gave that order." He turned back toward Cody. "Someone is trying to kill you."

"Noticed that," Cody murmured, accepting the hand up the medic offered him.

Fox walked Cody back to his cell, escorted by a full guard of troopers. He doubled the guards on Cody's cell introducing him once again to all of his guards. He handed Cody a com link. "Comm me if you need me. Don't try to call outside. Signals here are encrypted."

Cody accepted the com link and slipped it into his pocket. "You are making a concerted effort to keep me alive."

"Except for the part where I was basically fooled into trying to kill you about an hour ago."

"Yes, except for that," Cody acknowledged.

"You're confined to your cell from now on," Fox said.

"Figured as much," Cody blew out a sigh.

"You don't leave here unless I'm escorting you out of here," the Coruscanti guard commander said.

"Duly noted."

Fox turned to leave, heading up the steps out the cell.

"Hey Fox," Cody called as the guard commander was headed out, "thank you."

Fox shook his head. "Try not to get yourself killed before your trial."

"You make it sound so simple," Cody said.

He settled back on his bunk, trying to get comfortable, feeling the ache of new wounds. His stomach pulled painfully, reminding him he'd never eaten. With everything that happened, he forgot to ask Fox about _food_. Eventually they'd remember to deliver meals to his cell, right? Gah. Even Kazzie fruit was sounding good right about now. He sighed and rolled over onto his side to sleep, making sure he faced the door as he slept. Clutched in his hands was the sharp surgi-blade Silver had slipped him. Feeling slightly more secure clutching the weapon, he fell into a fitful rest.

# # #


	19. Chapter 19 Second Chances

**Rex **

**Chapter 19**

_A/N: Hello All. This chapter ended up being too long for a single chapter, so I divided it up into two parts. The first part is posting as Chapter 19. The second part will post as Chapter 20- a **bonus** chapter. It will go up later this week, since there will be no Rex updates in the beginning part of August._

_# # #_

As he was transported on the hover stretcher to his private room in the showpiece medical wing, Echo begin to stir, muttering in half-delirium.

"Easy, Echo," Fives said, placing a restraining hand on his brother, keeping away from his recent injuries. "I'm here."

The ARC showed no signs of recognizing Fives. His movements became increasingly anxious and he began muttering about hidden controls. His murmurings and thrashings began to increase in volume and intensity.

"I have to restrain him," the medtech said as Echo nearly rolled himself over the side of the hoverstretcher. Kix nodded his consent. Fives bit his lip, watching Echo anxiously as the restraints were put in place. His vod never did well with being held down.

They proceeded into the most crowded part of the medical wing.

"Uh oh, not good," Sly muttered.

A group of senators was coming toward them, led by a clone medic toward guide. Fives felt his gut twist with dread. Echo was getting _louder, _crying out warnings to the renegade scout troopers they'd teamed up with in the corridors of Darkknell.

"Watch out, Hok!" Echo cried out loudly. "Behind you!" his cries were beginning to draw the attention of the senators. They were already turning their attention from their medic tour guide and looking over at Echo. He descended into muttering again, before coming out with his best lines yet. "Captain Rex!" Echo shouted, loudly enough to be heard on the other side of Coruscant. "Commander Cody, sir! Trouble, sir!"

Fives glanced over sharply at the group of senators. If there was any doubt before they were with the two recently returned Legions, it was gone now. Every senator swiveled their head away from their tour guide and stared at them with unabashed interest.

"Kix," Fives hissed under his breath, "do something."

"I can't keep injecting things into his system. We don't know what-" Kix objected.

"If you don't _inject_ him with something, we'll be _ejected _out of here."

Sly made a quick hand signaling to Kix and Fives assuring them he would handle it.

"We're putting everything in the hands of the shiny?" Fives muttered to Kix as they watched Sly move forward to intercept the group.

"That _shiny _is one of the finest medics here," the medtech said to Fives sharply.

All conversation ceased as the group neared. The group stopped a few meters from them. The medic tour guide turned to Sly.

"Hello Sly. I see you have a _interesting_ new case. Care to share the symptoms he is presenting?"

"Hello Finn," Sly greeted his fellow medic, and then turned and gave respectful nod to the dozen visiting politicians. "Greetings honored senators. You picked an excellent day to visit ArmyMed. I'd like to introduce visiting battle medic _Kix_ from the venerable _five oh first_ Legion," Sly enunciated the words slowly and carefully, allowing for dramatic effect. The senators loved it. It was obvious he had dealt with these tour groups before. "He just returned today from the _far_ Outer Rim after being presumed lost for two months. We are most honored to have him with us to share his knowledge and experiences."

The senators all broke out into cheers and applause, so enamored with Kix they temporarily forgot all about Echo. Then, they all began talking at once, wanting to ask him questions. Kix stared at them, open-mouthed and shell-shocked.

Sly put a hand up. "No questions at this time, but we are thrilled to have him with us." He smiled at Finn and nodded his head indicating he should take his group and move on.

Finn shrugged. "This way, senators. Next on the tour we will see-"

It would have been a perfect distraction if Echo hadn't chosen that moment to cry out again and draw attention to himself. "The gas! They're all going to die!" He went silent again.

"What's going on with this patient?" demanded one senator, pointing a stabbing finder at Echo.

Finn hesitated, pausing his group. He looked back at Sly, waiting for an explanation.

Sly took a deep breath. "Of course, honored senators. The patient you see before you is an _ARC trooper,_ like the other one you see here." He pointed to Fives. "Both of them also from the five oh first." The senators 'hmmmphed' and 'oooohed' looking back and between Fives and Echo taking as if they were taking in a spectacle at a holoshow. "ARC Trooper Echo is newly checked in today. He is suffering from severe battle trauma, as you have just witnessed for yourselves, as well as recovering from puncture wounds to the shoulder and abdomen."

He stopped and again, nodded his chin toward Finn to lead the group away.

But, the moment he stopped speaking, the senators erupted in questions, refusing to leave.

"And take holopics?"

"With the medic?… No, no, not _that_ one. The one from the Outer Rim."

"I need this for my holonet page. Not that anyone can tell them apart. Odd how they can talk."

"May we see his wounds?"

Sly gave a quick apologetic look back at Kix and Fives, and then leaned down to peel open the velcro of Echo's medtunic, allowing the senators to gape at his chest and admire the newly healing wounds. Fives tightened his fists, wanting to defend Echo against the whole lot of them. He growled and began to move forward.

Kix put a restraining hand on his arm. "Fives, no."

Fives was pushed back as the senators crowded in around Echo. But, Kix pushed his way through and managed to stay directly next to the injured ARC. Sly stayed on Echo's other side.

"Can we get them both together in one picture?"

"Are we allowed selfie holos with the ARC troopers?"

The enormous senator from Ryloth, Orn Free Ta, waddled over and grabbed Fives by the arm. On reflex, Fives snapped his arm free and was about to take the senator down with an uppercut to the chin. The senator reared back in surprise, and several others froze and looked their way. "Apologies, sir," Fives said, he stared the man directly into the face, his voice a low and menacing growl. "It is never wise to touch a soldier without permission. It is even less wise to touch an ARC trooper. Men have died for less. I am also suffering from_ battle trauma." _He leaned closer to Free Ta and the senator started shaking, rolls of blue fat quivering.

"_Fives_," Kix's voice was crisp with command, the corridor was silent.

"_He touched me_," Fives hissed, his voice low and deadly.

"These senators would like their holopic taken with you. Your presence is requested next to Echo," Kix stated in the silent corridor.

Fives stalked across the corridor, his armored boots clicking against the polished surface. As he did so, the senators cleared a wide berth to get out of his way. The senators still wanted their coveted holopics, but they stood on the _other_ side of the hover stretcher.

During the entire process, Sly diplomatically rearranged senator's careless limbs during holopics and slid himself in the way as a human shield whenever someone tried to get too close to Echo.

"Fives, _no_," Kix murmured sharply, everytime the ARC looked as if he were about to finish off one of the senators.

It seemed to take eons, but the senators finished their pics and moved on.

"Fek, seriously?" Fives muttered, once they were out of earshot, still itching to throw his thermal det after the whole lot of them. He was sure he'd be doing a great service for the Republic.

"Get used to it," Sly nodded to the medtech and they continued on. "It is how things are around here. You need to work within the system."

"Or what?" Fives challenged. His gloved hands were still restlessly tapping his belt. The det was within easy reach. Gah. They did tours like that every fekkin' day with injured troopers? It was humiliating. He turned back to Sly. "What if I don't want to work within the system?"

Sly shook his head sadly.

"Clones don't get second chances, Fives," the medic said, he blew out a dark sigh. "You can't win here."

Echo cried out again. Sly reached over and pulled up Echo's blanket, tugging his shirt back closed and speaking low and quiet to the injured ARC. "It's alright. We're almost there. Sorry about the shabla photo op."

Fives watched the Coruscanti medic speak to Echo and realized the di'kut _did_ care. All his attitude came from being a disillusioned shiny on a miserable assignment. Like Hevy. He always hated that place, too. Blowing _this_ place up was sounding better and better.

"What are you smiling about?" Kix asked. "That's not your _good _ARC smile."

Fives patted his thermal det on his belt. Gah. No. Rex would likely get angry if they blew up the medical center. He sighed and shook his head. "Nothing."

He blew out a sigh of frustration and turned his attention back to what Sly had said.

The medic's words rang in Fives' mind.

_Clones don't get second chances._

# # #


	20. Chapter 20 Vode An (The Bonus Chapter)

_Revised: January 4, 2015. This chapter has minor revisions to Rex's first impressions upon seeing Coruscant again, and also his surprise at the newly expanded Republic Military Base. Also tweaked the conversation a bit between Rex and Fox because the dialogue between them was just too much fun._

**Rex **

**Chapter 20**

**(The Bonus Chapter)**

The journey down to Coruscant passed by in a flash. Rex sat next to the Admiral, struggling to keep his eyes open as they headed down to the city planet. He focused on the view of the planet as they came closer. It looked so... unchanged. He wasn't sure why he thought it would look different. So much had happened to _him_ since he'd left ArmyMed over two months ago. The endless city planet always curiously unaffected by events happening elsewhere in the galaxy, as if they were worth a passing glance on the news but nothing more.

But, when they descended into the Republic Military Base, Rex's eyes widened in surprise. The complex had doubled in size, and construction droids were everywhere.

_Odd._

The Admiral excused himself and disappeared into the new barracks as soon as they landed. He was more hands-on than any senior officer Rex had worked with and would doubtless be throwing himself into some task within the barracks. Rex stayed up on the rooftop to oversee the unloading of the troop transports, before heading into their new living space. The barracks smelled _new. _He tried not to dwell on the 952nd and 365th Legions; these quarters had originally been built for _them_. But, the GAR was constantly shifting _resources_. As Legions were wiped out, accommodations were made. These barracks belonged to the 501st and 212th now. When they weren't deployed in the 'Rim, this would be their new home on Triple Zero.

He stood at the door to the mess hall watching service and rectory droids buzzing about making preparations for the evening meal.

"What do you think dinner will be, sir?" Jesse asked, standing guard duty by the door. "Trapper has started a betting pool. I bet four Kazzie fruit it would be that nerf strip Pashi noodle dish they seem to serve every other rotation."

Rex paused, wondering if he should put an end to the betting. Then, he shrugged. The men had been through so much. "Put me down for two fruit. They'll pick something loaded with nutrients. Goarnt stew."

Denal, standing guard duty with Jesse, frowned fiercely. "Blegh. Seriously? It's like eating laser canon fluid. If it has to be nutrient laden, then I'm hoping they choose roasted kebroot."

"Kebroot would be good," Jesse acknowledged. "How many?"

"Three on kebroot."

Jesse lifted up his commlink to call Trapper and put in the bets.

Rex's stomach growled from the conversation about food. He hadn't eaten anything more than caf and Kazzie fruit. An actual meal would do him good. He checked his chrono. 0232.22.

He sighed.

He couldn't put off seeing the Council.

"Admiral Yularen," Rex said, lifting his wrist comm to his lips, as he cut through the mess to head out the back exit of the barracks, "I'm-"

"I'm right here, Captain," the Admiral called from the back of the mess hall. He looked up from where he was overseeing the unloading of pallets of supplies by a small army of rectory droids.

"Admiral, I must report-"

"I'm aware of your mandate from the Jedi Council, Captain. Go on. Since I have no _ship_, but I now have a_ Legion_ again," there was unmistakable pride in the Admiral's voice as he spoke, "I will be staying here at the barracks. Coric, Ko and I will keep the peace. Rest assured."

Rex studied the older man for a moment. He seemed to radiate calm and order. They were lucky to have him, especially now with both Generals out, Cody on disciplinary action and Rex being called away immediately upon their return. "Thank you, sir." He knew the men would be much less likely to start brawling and their usual barracks antics with the Admiral in attendance. Yularen knew it, too. It was one less weight on Rex's mind. He pivoted on his heel and walked by the crates and rectory droids, heading outside.

"Oh, Captain?" the Admiral, reached into one of the nearby crates. He pulled out a plastibag and tossed it to Rex.

"What is this?" Rex stared down at the contents of the bag in surprise.

"Snacks." "

"Snacks?" Rex was familiar with the term. He'd heard it on Ando, but it was not a term they used in the GAR. "Sir, clones don't get _snacks_."

"They do today, Captain."

Rex continued to gaze down at the bag in wonder. "Sir, how did you-"

"I do have _some_ connections. Enjoy. Good luck with the Council. I'll be distributing these out shortly." He smiled again. "Help keep the peace until the droids can get the evening meal prepared."

The man was a genius.

"_Thank you, sir_." Not for the bag of snacks, but for everything.

The Admiral nodded and returned his attention to double-checking the shipment.

Rex sighed, unable to put off heading for the Temple any longer. He headed out into the street, tearing open the bag and studying the contents curiously. Some sort of snack-cracker/nut mixture. He tugged off his helmet and clipped it to his belt, sampling a handful as he walked. A large holoscreen nearby was showing boloball scores.

Gah. It had been so long since he'd seen bolo-ball. He tried to watch the scores scrolling by as he walked trying to catch a glimpse of whether his preferred team, Bylluran Athletic, had played. But, he couldn't get a clear view through the crowds. He sighed, trying to content himself with the barest glimpse he caught of the players and the ball moving back and forth. One day, he would like to see an actual game. He blew out a breath. It probably would never happen. The scores ended and the holoscreen turned to coverage of the war. Rex turned away. The holonet coverage was never even close to accurate. It didn't bear watching. .

He took a swig from his canteen to wash down the salty snacks. The Admiral had chosen well. All of his men were likely iodine deficient along with other nutritional deficiencies. He glanced toward the Temple. He could double his pace and get their faster. But, he was exhausted and in no hurry for this confrontation.

There was a time when an order from the Jedi Council would have him scurrying to do their bidding. He didn't much feel like scurrying anymore. Maybe he was angry about Cody being locked up, even though they knew it was the likely outcome after they'd rescued the Legions. But, he knew it was more the changes he'd undergone over the last two months. He still felt a strong sense of _duty_. But, his loyalties lay to his brothers. To Ahsoka. The Council? Where had they been when he was being sent off to Kamino for the crime of being injured in the line of duty?

He blew out a sigh and studied his plastibag of snack-crackers and nuts. He was out. He licked his lips, getting the last of the salt off his lips. He stuffed the empty bag back into it his belt pouch and was startled by a voice coming up beside him.

"Rex, if you walked any slower, I'd have to cite you for obstructing pedi-traffic."

"Fox."

The Coruscanti Guard commander studied Rex for a long moment. "Heard you were back from the dead." He took in the battered state of Rex's armor, including the hole on his chest where he'd been shot by the Kazzie leader. "You're a sight, as always."

Rex ignored the jab. Fox could be difficult to take at times, but if you could get through to him, he wasn't a bad vod.

The Coruscanti Guard commander gestured toward the Temple, asking with hand signals if that was where Rex was headed.

Rex nodded.

Fox signaled again, indicating they should walk together. Rex wondered at Fox's reticence to talk.

"Fox, what did _you_ do?"

There was no answer out of the Guard commander.

"_Fox."_

"My orders are to report directly to the Council,_" _Fox said, not looking at Rex as they briskly walked along.

Rex bristled with frustration. Fox had a tendency to want to follow blindly. It was one of his most annoying qualities. There was a time when Rex would have let it go. But, not anymore. He gripped Fox by the armor to get his attention, and then slugged him hard in the armored part of his shoulder. The blow wouldn't do any damage due to the armor, but it certainly got his attention.

Fox hissed with pain and whirled on him, all pretense of formality gone between them. Now, he was simply a vod annoyed with another.

"Does this have to do with Co-" Before Rex could finish saying '_Cody_,' Fox snapped up a hand signal, silencing him like he would in a battlefield situation where the slightest noise would get them killed. Fox glanced back and forth as if they were being watched, and then grabbed Rex and pulled him aside into the entrance of a nearby bustling metro station. He ripped off his helmet and clipped it to his belt in one swift move. The noise levels in the station were tremendous as hordes of people passed them on the way to public transport.

"Cody was attacked twenty minutes ago. That's all I can tell you."

Rex swallowed hard to contain a upswelling of anger. "You didn't think to comm me?"

"I don't report to you, _Captain_," Fox started in, stressing their difference in rank, "I was immediately ordered to-"

"Fek it, Fox. Brothers first," Rex growled, "you know the rules."

The Coruscanti Guard's eyes flashed with anger at being called out on the clone code of honor. Rex could see him struggling between the orders from his superiors and loyalty to his brothers. "That's not what they taught us in command school."

Rex spoke low under his breath. "There's what they _think_ they taught us on Kamino, and there's the actual rules we clones operate by. _Talk_."

Fox closed his eyes for a long moment. Rex saw a shudder go through his brother's frame as he struggled to figure out what was right. He finally nodded and opened his eyes again, looking at Rex with determination.

Rex automatically started to put his bucket on, assuming Fox would want to talk to him privately on internal comms. The Coruscanti guard commander stayed his hand. Rex raised his eyebrows in surprise. He leaned in close to Rex, relying upon their superior clone hearing to be heard. "Cody was attacked less than an hour ago by two men, both human, posing as clones, outfitted with full Coruscanti guard kit. Helmets were modded to sound like clones."

"What's Cody's status?"

"He's not dead, if that's what you're asking."

"_Fox_."

"Cody's injured," Fox admitted, "our medic treated him and he's back in his cell."

"Anything else?" Rex's voice was tightly contained with barely constrained fury.

"One of the assailants, we think they were bounty hunters, tried to blow up the RMB with a t-det. In the confusion, we...ah.. shot Cody."

"Oh, well done, Fox," Rex's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"You weren't there," Fox hissed, "we were set up. Whoever set this up knew what they were doing."

"How did they get a hold of Guard armor?"

Fox shook his head. "I don't know. All of my men accounted for every piece of their kit."

"Where were his guards?" Rex demanded.

"Called away by the Chancellor's office. As soon as they arrived, their comms stopped working. Told the order came from me."

"And, you never gave the order."

"Of course not."

"When I can see him?"

"You can't."

Rex growled.

"Someone is trying to _kill_ him," Fox said, "I am restricting all access to his cell, trying to keep him alive until his trial."

"You're doing a fine job of it so far," Rex hissed.

Fox glared at Rex. "I'm doing the best I can here."

Rex sighed and scrubbed at his face, knowing he was probably being too harsh on Fox. Gah. It was frustrating, knowing he couldn't help Cody.

Fox's wrist comlink blinked and he glanced down at the scrolling orders. "The Council," he shook his head in dismay. "A strong reminder my orders specified I was to arrive _expediently_." He sucked in a breath as he read the next piece of text. "The Chancellor's office has taken a personal interest in the investigation."

Rex studied the Coruscanti Guard's reaction to the news. To Fox's credit, he didn't immediately insist on running off at the orders from higher up. A thoughtful look crossed his face as he re-read the text. "The Chancellor. Why would he be so interested in a single clone?"

Rex shook his head. "None of this adds up. As far as I know, the Chancellor has only met Cody once or twice. General Kenobi travels without a clone escort on Corrie."

Fox sighed, making a hand gesture indicating they should get moving toward the Temple again. "I don't understand any of this." It was clear he didn't like anything outside his normal parameters. He stabbed a finger to Rex. "But, somehow you're all caught up in it."

"We're all in this together," Rex said, casting Fox a meaningful look. "_Vode An_."

They walked together in heavy silence.

As Rex headed up the steep steps beside Fox into the Temple, he wondered if it was true. With each dragging step, he felt the weary weight of the war dragging him down and he wondered how long the brotherhood could hold.

# # #

_A/N: Whoa. Hard to believe we are already at the twentieth chapter. How did we get here so quickly? OK, with this chapter I say good bye for a bit to take a writing siesta. Enjoy this bonus chapter!_


	21. Chapter 21 Confrontation

_Updated: January 4, 2015. This chapter contains some minor revisions to the conversation between Plo Koon and Rex. There is a great dynamic between these two characters._

**Rex II**

**Chapter 21**

Both Rex and Fox fell silent as soon as they entered the Jedi Temple. Rex had been inside the Temple many times before with both General Skywalker and Commander Tano, but it felt different being here without them. The atmosphere was oppressive and hushed. Few Jedi roamed the hallways. It was a grim reminder Jedi had sent many of their own off to fight in the war, including young padawans like Ahsoka.

The lift ride to the High Council chambers seemed to take forever while at the same time, it was much too short. Rex was dreading this confrontation.

The Jedi Temple guards eyed them warily as they came into sight, immediately drawing up their double-bladed lightsaber pikes.

"Remove your helmets," demanded the first Temple Guard, stepping forward.

Both clones eased their helmets off, careful not to make any sudden moves. The bounty hunter attack earlier in the day at the prison made anyone in clone armor suspect.

"Commander Fox, proceed into the Chambers. Captain, you will wait here."

Rex and Fox exchanged a look.

_Good luck, brother._

Rex dipped his chin respectfully toward Fox and the Coruscant Guard commander returned the gesture. He spun neatly on his heel and headed into the chambers. Rex clipped his helmet to his belt, and stood patiently at parade rest. The minutes dragged on and Fox didn't emerge from the Chambers.

_The Council must have many questions for him._

_If Fox's meeting takes this long, they'll have a fete week with me._

He had to account for two missing months and his actions at Darkknell.

Rex rubbed wearily at his eyes, and did his best to stifle a yawn. He didn't entirely succeed. The guard glanced at him sharply.

_Should have asked the service bots at the barracks to brew me some caf._

_Wonder what they're doing at the barracks._

He pictured the men laying claim to their bunks and settling in. A small smile crossed his face as he pictured Hardcase, Jesse, Denal, Coric and the others getting a solid meal and some rack time on a decent bed. When was the last time he'd slept in the barracks? Not since before they set out for the mission to TriLuna. He should be with his Legion where there was life and noise and brothers, instead of here in this oppressive, too silent place.

He glanced at his chrono. Fox had been in there an hour already.

Rex did a mental review of everything he and Cody had discussed on the journey home, trying to prepare for the upcoming confrontation. He refused to think of it as a 'cover story'. It was a detailed accounting of events. He was here to deliver a _report_ to the Council, like he had done dozens of times before. Nothing different.

Fek.

Everything was different now.

Thinking like that would get him killed. And, the lives of the Legion he'd left behind on-

No. He couldn't think of them anymore either.

Gah. He had to control his thinking.

He allowed his mind to go blank.

Rex knew he could shield his thoughts. He'd done so during the confrontation with Ventress. But, the Jedi behind these Council doors were the most powerful in the galaxy. Even now, were they reading his thoughts?

He had to _focus_.

He headed over to the large windows looking out over Coruscant. There was too much at stake for him to fail. Too much many people depending upon him.

He set his arms behind his back at parade rest and looked out at the constant flow of traffic.

Rex took deep breaths, falling into the relaxed meditation Ahsoka had insisted on showing him. It was getting easier to meditate the more he did so.

A deep sense of calm flooded over him.

# # #

"That is all, Commander."

Fox nodded to the Council members and quickly pivoted on his heel toward the exit, thrilled to be done. One of the Jedi rose up to follow him.

"I need to stretch my legs," General Plo Koon said, falling into step beside him.

_Jedi needed to stretch their legs? _Fox thought curiously.

But, the General didn't need anything of him. He was free to go. Finally. It would take him weeks to complete the list of suggested security measures given to him by the Council.

"Send in Captain Rex," General Windu called after them.

Fox and the Jedi Master walked silently out the chamber doors, and the doors swished shut behind them. Once they were out of earshot, Plo Koon turned to Fox. He handed the security commander a small datapad.

"What's this?" Fox asked, looking down in surprise at the item in his gloved hand.

"The WolfPack asked if I could find a way to get it Commander Cody. This was a fortuitous meeting," the Jedi Master nodded, "the Force does indeed work in mysterious ways."

"Yes, sir," Commander Fox nodded, and tucked the datapad into his belt. He glanced over curiously at where Rex was standing, unmoving, looking out the large glass windows. He frowned slightly. The Jedi Master placed a comforting hand on Fox's shoulder.

"You can go," he dipped his chin toward Rex, indicating he would bring the Captain in.

Fox nodded and hurried on his way, relieved to leave the Temple.

"Captain?" Plo Koon approached the 501st Captain.

No response.

Odd.

The Jedi Master paused.

_So, this was the clone thought lost and dead, and then suddenly, he reappears. A mystery indeed._

Plo Koon stood several paces behind him and extended his own awareness. He felt a sense of calm around this captain unlike any he'd ever experienced from a clone before. He knew Commander Wolffe well and trusted him with his life. He was steadfast and loyal and capable of great leadership. But, he'd never seen him display this sort of behavior.

The Captain was _meditating_.

On a hunch, Plo Koon brushed Rex gently with his own awareness.

_Captain?_

_—Sir?_

It was automatic response back down completely on reflex without thinking. Plo Koon gasped in surprise. The Captain's eyes jerked open and he looked toward the Jedi Master. His brown eyes widened with concern, suspicion, fear, anger mixed together so powerfully that Plo Koon put up a hand to contain the surge of emotions. He sent a calming wave toward Rex, which the clone initially accepted, and then halted, slamming up a shield around his emotions. It was clumsily done, enough that Plo Koon inwardly winced, but adequate and shielded him thoroughly.

"Walk with me, Captain," the Jedi Master said. He turned to the Temple guards. "Tell the Council we need a few minutes."

The guards bowed in acknowledgement and one headed inside to relay the order.

The 501st Captain automatically fell in step beside him. The Jedi Master was silent for a long moment until they were well away from the Council Chambers. He finally paused by another massive window, settling down into a cushioned alcove. He patted the space next to him, inviting the Captain to do the same. Rex hesitated, standing stiffly at attention.

"You're not in trouble, Captain. I only wish to speak to you."

Rex paused and finally sat down next to the Jedi Master, still sitting rigidly at attention, as if afraid to relax even for a micro-second.

Plo Koon stroked his chin thoughtfully, studying him for a long moment. Rex sat still, barely breathing.

"So, Captain where did you learn to meditate like that? It is unusual behavior for a clone."

Rex didn't reply.

"I am only curious, Captain. Anything you tell me remains in confidence between the two of us. And, trust me when I tell you I will go to my death before I would share them," the Jedi Master said in his rich baritone.

Rex's eyes widened in surprise. It was difficult for him to imagine Wolffe confiding in anyone since he was a clone of so few words, but even harder to imagine him confiding in his General. He studied this particular Jedi with renewed interest, wondering if he was more like Kenobi or Ahsoka.

Rex paused and thought carefully, wondering how he would explain.

"Tell me only what you are comfortable sharing," Plo Koon prompted. "The Force will be your guide."

Rex wasn't sure he liked _those_ instructions.

"The Force guides all living things," the Jedi General said kindly.

"If you say so, sir," Rex conceded, and then began and official recounting, "On my last official mission for the Republic, I was injured. Severely injured."

"I heard," Plo Koon said, "it was ultimately what led to your being… sent away."

"If by being 'sent away,' you mean reconditioned, sir, then yes," Rex clarified, refusing to mince words. "I was alone on the mission except for Commander Tano. I was struck with a new type of Separatist weapon designed specifically to penetrate clone armor."

"The one they call clone shredder ammo."

Rex nodded. "Yes, I believe I was the first one they tested the new weapon on." He took a deep breath before continuing, the memories of the agony from the wound still fresh in his mind even two months later. "To deal with the discomfort from the injury, the Commander showed me her meditation technique. She tried to teach me before, sir, saying it was a useful skill, but..." he shrugged, "It always seemed too much of a Jedi thing for my liking."

The Jedi Master chuckled. "A Jedi thing?" He gave Rex a companionable pat on the shoulder. "I think little 'Soka is onto something. I believe I will give this a try with my Wolfpack. Come. We should return. I'm sure the Council is eager to here your story."

_Story?_

Interesting choice of words.

Rex heaved a huge sigh of relief. The Jedi Master sensed nothing amiss with Rex _meditating_. And, maybe there was nothing unusual to him, after all. He was simply an ordinary clone who'd gone through a weird couple of months, but everything would be back to normal now. He simply needed to get through this Council meeting.

He took several deep calming breaths as they approach the Council chambers.

Somehow having General Plo Koon beside him helped. There was something very likable about this particular Jedi. He was definitely more on the Kenobi end of the Jedi spectrum than the Skywalker one.

"Is everything alright?" Mace Windu asked as soon as the chamber doors opened, his voice expressing his displeasure at the delay.

Plo Koon nodded. "Yes, I had a few questions of my own for the Captain about the specific ammo used on him before his disappearance. My commander was keenly interested."

That wasn't exactly what they'd discussed. The clone shredder ammo had barely come up.

Rex carefully kept his expression neutral, not allowing his surprise to show. Master Plo Koon seemed reluctant to mention the meditation technique. It almost seemed as if the Jedi General was covering for him. But, why would he do so?

He had no more time to ponder the question.

The Council Chamber doors closed behind them.

"Greetings, Captain," Mace Windu began, "we have many questions for you."

Rex took a deep breath and glanced out the Council windows.

_I'm sure you do._

The sun was starting to set over Coruscant. This was going to be a long night.

# # #


	22. Chapter 22 In the Council Chambers

_Revised January 4, 2015. Put in references to the Force controlling Rex's destiny. Tweaked the dialogue to add even more dramatic tension to the verbal sparring back and forth between Rex and Mace Windu. I received a comment or two that I've made Windu out to be a bit of a... eh... jerk. There's a reason for it. This story is told from the perspective of the clones, mainly, and not the Jedi. Later on in the story, Rex and Cody will have a chance to work with Windu and see another side of him rather than the overly stern, unyielding leader of the Council. I also added in another reference to Fox's suspicion someone is bugging their comms._

**Rex II**

**Chapter 22**

Rex walked into the Council Chambers and studied the assembled Jedi. The room was only half full, with a portion of the rest of the Council represented by holo-transmissions. It was not a full assembly. General Kenobi's spot was empty, as were General Ti and General Fisto, the latter two likely out of reach someplace. Certain members of the Council held more weight than others as permanent members of the High Council, and three were currently present: Generals Yoda, Windu and Plo Koon. Rex took the time to greet each of the Council members by name and title, having refreshed his memory before the meeting. Admiral Yularen had advised Rex for his meeting, and reminded him the Jedi valued protocol and etiquette. Although, Rex needed no such reminder. The atmosphere in this room was so stiff and formal it made an ARC inspection look sloppy.

Rex locked his arms behind his back at parade rest and faced General Windu. As Admiral Yularen explained, Windu was the main voice of the Council. And, Rex had been in the Council Chambers before himself, usually with either his General or the Commander, answering questions before or after key battles.

But, this was the first time he had been in the chambers by himself.

And, this was the first time where _he_ was the focus of the meeting.

As anticipated, the tall senior Jedi spoke first. "Captain Rex, your return caught us by surprise, but nevertheless, the Council considers it the will of the Force you returned to us alive." His words were pleasant enough, but his voice held an edge of coolness.

Rex nodded respectfully, still not sure how to react whenever the Jedi spoke of the Force controlling his destiny.

"Thank you, General."

"We have questions regarding your whereabouts since your departure from the Army Medical Base here on Coruscant. An unaccounted timeframe of two months."

"Understood, sir."

General Ki-Al-Mundi, attending by holo transmission, interjected. "Why don't you tell us in your own words what happened, Captain?"

Rex launched into his cover story, including everything he and Cody had rehearsed time and again on the journey home. The words flowed easily and naturally. He saw General Windu glance down to his datapad in annoyance a few times. He concluded his report, standing as stiffly straight as when he started and waited for a reaction. The room was silent.

_Ah, fek. That's never good._

He dared a sideways glance and noticed the Jedi present in the room glancing back and forth. He could feel his annoyance levels rising. If they had something to say, he wished they would just say it outloud. Although, in retrospect, it wasn't much different than clones using their internal comms to make comments about the Jedi. When he returned to command of the 501st, he needed to crack down on that sort of side chatter.

A pang hit him.

If he returned to command of the 501st.

Right now, Appo had command of his Legion.

Rex sighed, and continued to wait.

He glanced out of the corner of his eyes at the Jedi again. Something tugged at the corners of his mind. Huh. It seemed like there was an odd current of energy in the air. Almost as if he were overhearing an argument. But, the room was silent.

_Just the Jedi doing their thing_, Rex decided.

He fixed his gaze out the window and watched the traffic going by in Coruscant, losing himself in the endless flow.

General Windu closed his eyes in concentration before opening them again and focusing on the 501st Captain.

"Thank you, Captain," his voice was cold and acerbic, "your statement tells us _nothing_." He held up his datapad and tapped it, the sound echoing around the ancient meeting chamber. "It proves you have an outstanding power of recall. A credit to your genetics. It is word-for-word identical to your report." He stared at the 501st Captain. "I think this is a fabrication of half-truths meant to conceal your true whereabouts."

"Sir?" Rex was immediately thrown off guard. On instinct, he threw up his emotional shields. His heart beat wildly in his chest. He struggled to regroup and think of a response, as the blood hammered in his ears.

His mind went blank.

_Fek. Fek. Fek._

The lives of every vode on Ando were hanging in the balance.

_Steady, Captain._

Rex wasn't sure where the voice came from, if it was his own instinct, or came from elsewhere. But, it was all he had, so he didn't say anything, and simply held his position.

"However, I cannot prove anything," the frustration in the senior Jedi's voice was evident. "There is no one who can either dispute or corroborate your story since you are the only survivor from the medical transport to Kamino."

_That's right. No survivors._

Rex bowed his chin slightly out of deference to the vode who 'died.' He nodded.

General Windu looked down at the report in his hands again. "You say you could not contact the Republic for two months because you were on a scavenging ship in the far Outer Rim. Yet, once you were dropped off again at a settlement on..." he consulted his notes, "...Bunduki, you still chose not to tell the GAR of your whereabouts."

Rex had never been to Bunduki. But, he'd heard it was about as far from everything as one could get.

"Yes, sir."

"By doing so, you deliberately violated GAR regulations, making you AWOL."

"Yes, sir. Technically, I was AWOL."

"_Technically_?"

"But, I was decommissioned. And, technically dead. The military definition of AWOL is absent from one's post but without intent to desert. I had no intent to desert. I never wanted to leave the GAR. I was _sent_ away."

General Windu opened his mouth to object, but Rex continued on. "I was also decommissioned, sir. The military seems to find it necessary to strip us of everything before sending us off to Kamino. I was not and I am still not in the GAR. It is why I am requesting to be reinstalled to my rank and position as Captain of the 501st Legion."

The senior Jedi leveled a cool glare at Rex, not speaking for a long moment. Rex knew he'd won for the moment on the point of being AWOL. "You wish to be reinstated?"

"Yes, sir, as Captain of the 501st."

"_Can_ you provide any witnesses to back up your story? Prove where you've been and what sort of company you've been keeping?"

_Fek. Is he actually accusing me of spying? Having spent the past two months with the Seppies?_

Rex's fists balled in anger. He was so thrown off by the accusation, he had no response.

"Well, Captain?"

"Sir?"

"_Do_ you have any witnesses?"

He was beaten. Everyone who knew his whereabouts during that time could never show their faces again. "No, sir. None."

The room was silent for a long moment. Rex clenched and unclenched one fist.

Gah. The temperature regulators in his bodysuit were definitely not working. Now, he could feel a bead of sweat running down the middle of his back. He needed to do some serious work on his armor.

The General stared him down for a long moment before looking back down to Rex's report. "So, you had access to comm equipment on Bunduki. Instead of contacting the GAR about your whereabouts, you collaborated with Commander Cody upon learning of the clones at Darkknell."

"Respectfully, General, Commander Cody _is_ and was a member of the GAR at the time I contacted him."

The senior Jedi scowled. "He was on medical leave at Ord Cestus, hardly a fitting contact."

"Commander Cody _is_ my direct superior, sir, since Commander Tano and General Skywalker were unreachable. As soon as I made contact with him, I informed him I was alive," Rex paused, "Although, he did figure that part out on his own a few seconds into our conversation."

There was a slight snicker from behind him and without turning around Rex knew it was General Plo Koon.

Rex raised his estimation of Wolffe's Jedi. He'd need to tell this story to Cody, if he managed to get out of this meeting in one piece. That was a fekkin' brilliant line.

"Enough!" General Windu cast an annoyed look over at his fellow Jedi, and turned his attention back to Rex. "You encouraged your direct superior to go AWOL rather than returning to duty."

That wasn't a question. More of a statement. Fascinating he was pinning Cody's fall from grace on him.

Rex paused, thinking.

_OK. Fine. I'll go with that version of events, if it will help Cody._

"Yes, sir."

"You did all of this rather than simply contacting the nearest Republic military outpost. Why?"

_Gah. Seriously? Ask the same question over and over and expecting a different answer? It was a classic interrogation tactic. Rex had been flash trained in resisting interrogation. It was as second nature to him as wiring dets and cleaning his decee._

Rex shook his head and decided he'd save all of them some time. "Sir, with all due respect, I fail to see what this line of questioning will-"

"Answer the question, Captain!" Windu demanded. A piercing pain struck his temples. He couldn't suppress a wince.

Aw, fek no. Not only was he being verbally attacked, but the senior Jedi was probing his mind. He pulled his mental shields even tighter. Windu's eyes narrowed, and he the strain on his temples increased.

He gritted his teeth. Gah. His patience with the senior Jedi snapped. "I was sent to Kamino to be _reconditioned._ My entire Legion was captured. What possible reason was there for me to return? My General and my commander were gone. What would I be returning to?"

The pressure on his brain eased as Windu dove back into the argument. "It was your _duty_."

Duty.

Fek. No one took duty more seriously than Rex. Honor. Duty. Brotherhood. It was the code he lived by.

"You would have been reassigned," Windu continued.

Reassigned.

Rex struggled not to roll his eyes at the General's non-understanding of brotherhood. Has the man learned nothing from Ponds? He shook his head, took a deep breath, and pinched the bridge of his nose for patience.

"Sir, if I had returned, and told you I was planning on rescuing the 501st, what would you have done?"

The senior Jedi paused, considering his response. "We would have told you we were already working on alternative plans and strategies to-"

"You would've _talked_ about it endlessly, like you always do. Your plans didn't _work_. You didn't do enough. The 501st and 212th were _dying._ Cody and I brought our brothers home. Left to you, they'd all be _dead_ right now."

"That's enough!"

"No, it's not!" The pain and anger of everything that had happened over the past few months bubbled up inside of him. The fate of the 501st and the 212th. His near reconditioning. The thought of all the brothers before him, and likely those _after_ him, still being sent to Kamino wouldn't allowed him to stay silent any longer. He simply wasn't the soldier he'd been before. He couldn't pretend anymore. "12,000 men, General! You left 12,000 men to rot in that prison! Is it because we're _clones_? Those were acceptable losses, weren't they? You just use us like canon fodder-"

"Captain Rex, that is enough!"

Rex took several steps forward, until he was standing directly over the seated Jedi General. "It will never be enough! You would have left my brothers to die, like you sentenced _me_ to death for being injured in the line of duty. We're not men to you, and we never have been. You-"

Rex hadn't heard the Temple Guards come into the room. He had to give them credit for stealth. His arms were snapped up painfully behind his back and dual lightsaber blades appeared a hair's breadth from his throat.

"You are finished here, Captain," General Windu said, his face taking on an odd glow in the reflection of the lightsabers from the Temple Guards. "You are hereby sentenced to the brig for contempt of the Jedi Council."

_Ah, fek._

Maybe the canon fodder remark was a bit much.

The lightsabers were lowered as Rex was pulled out of the room by the Temple Guards.

"_Respectfully_, sir," Rex said, looking back over his shoulder at the General, "if you keep locking up all your command clones, you won't have anyone to fight your war for you."

But, it was true. All of it.

"Take him away," General Windu said angrily.

As he was dragged out of the Council room, his heart stopped. Ahsoka was outside in the waiting area. Her eyes widened as she saw him manhandled out by the Temple Guards. All the fight suddenly went out of him.

They exchanged a long look. He could sense her concern. And, underneath it all, he knew he'd failed her. And, his was not at all how this meeting was supposed to go. He'd let them all down. Admiral Yularen. Cody. Ahsoka. The 501st. He hung his head down, refusing to look at Ahsoka any longer. The lift opened up and Fox walked out accompanied by half a squadron of shock troopers. He walked briskly up to the Temple Guards. "I'll take it from here." He pulled a pair of binders off his belt, and slipped them onto the 501st Captain. He gave Rex's arm a sharp tug, guiding him along.

# # #

Plo Koon watched the 501st Captain being led away, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He saw the wide-eyed look Padawan Tano gave to the captain of her Legion as he was led away under guard.

Interesting.

The doors swished shut again, sequestering the Council behind closed doors once more. He turned his attention back to his fellow Jedi and broke the silence in the room. "The Captain made some excellent points. It bears discussion."

His words gained him a steely look from Windu, but discussion ensued.

# # #

When they reached the lift, Fox looked at the other shock troopers. "Meet me downstairs. I'll take him down alone." He handed his bucket to his second. "Take this down for me." His second didn't question it, and they headed over to a separate lift.

The lift arrived, and Fox shoved Rex inside. The Guard commander tugged off his helmet and glared at the 501st Captain. "Seriously, Rex? What were you thinking?!" He smacked Rex hard on the pauldron. "The last thing I expected today was to get a call to come take you into custody. As if I don't have enough to deal with already. Gah!" He blew out a long hiss of frustration. "Unbelievable! I have no idea what happened to you and Cody out in the 'Rim, but it better not be spreading or we'll have a full scale clone rebellion on our hands." He twisted his lips again in disgust. The lift doors opened. "Come on. Let's get you locked up."

They arrived at the base of the Temple. The other shock troopers were already waiting for them. His second handed him his bucket back, and Fox shoved it on his head with slightly more vigor than necessary.

On the walk to the RMB, he continued his tirade against renegade clones who had no respect for law and order. After Fox finished Rex's processing, he started in on his lecture again about how what an di'kut he was to end up in the RMB.

"This is no place for a command clone, Rex," Fox hissed. "I'm having a hard enough time keeping Cody alive in here."

Rex was about to open his mouth to say something on _that_ point, but the Coruscant Guard commander cut him off.

"Don't, Rex. Don't even say it. You've pissed off enough people for one day, don't you think?" Fox shook his head, gripping Rex firmly by the elbow as he led him down the sterile grey corridors past row-after-row of cells. Rex noted that Fox was buckets off again. "And, I heard General Skywalker was crazy. Maybe you're the insanity behind the 501st."

"Hey," Rex objected, not sure which part of that statement he should be more offended by, but finally gave up and simply tuned out the rest of the verbal abuse as they continued the endless walk through the prison.

# # #


	23. Chapter 23 Unintended Consequence

**Rex II**

**Chapter 23**

They didn't attract so much as a sideways glance on the walk back to the RMB. Fox shielded him on all sides with troopers so they appeared to be nothing more than a squad going about their business. Rex supposed he ought to thank the Guard commander for the professional courtesy. But, he was still irked about being sent to the shabla brig. He shouldn't have lost his temper, but gah, Skywalker would have yelled and ranted until he got everything out of his system and then simply sent Rex back to his quarters. In the morning, he would have told Rex once again how disappointed he was with him and somehow, that was always _worse_. Skywalker inspired him to be a better officer and despite his quirks and unorthodox methods, Rex liked working with him.

The shame of being dragged out of the High Council Chamber and seeing Ahsoka-

He could still see the devastated look on her face. He knew she thought very highly of him. And, he felt like he'd suddenly dropped so much lower in her regard by his actions today.

Rex gritted his teeth. "How much further?" he hissed to Fox. The Guard commander was walking directly next to him, still gripping his arm tightly. Rex was sure he would have an imprint of all five of Fox's fingers on his bicep, even through his rerebrace. Fox ignored him.

Several minutes later and they were in the generically named complex/prison known as the Republic Military Base.

The RMB was enormous. With all the expenditures of the war, the Republic felt it necessary to build a structure on this scale? Everything about the place smelled new. His bucket was clipped to his belt, and without it on, the acrid smell of the new paint was overwhelming. The overhead lighting was overly harsh. Gah. He hated this place.

By the time Fox finished "processing" him, which apparently meant taking away everything he owned, (armor, bucket and weapons), he was even more exhausted.

"Where are you taking me, anyway?" Rex asked impatiently. At this point, he didn't particularly care where Fox stuck him. He simply wanted someplace to _sleep_. He hadn't slept at all since they'd dropped out of space above Coruscant, and there'd been little to no sleep before then either as they'd made their final preparations for their return home.

Fox stopped and gave Rex _the look_. It was the same one that Rex gave new rookies who needed a dressing down. Despite himself, Rex grew uncomfortable under Fox's gaze. "You're on a _behavioral reprimand_. You want to keep pushing it?"

The shock troopers around Rex started to shift their feet uncomfortably. Fox had this discipline routine down to a science. Rex took a deep breath and swallowed his pride. He finally blew out a sigh. "Alright, maybe I've been a little out of line."

"A little?" Fox scoffed. He shook his head. "If you were under my command, you'd be scrubbing this whole place with a micro-hygiene brush already." He tugged Rex by the elbow to pull him along. One of the shock troopers sucked in a breath. Apparently it was not an idle threat coming from the Guard Commander. "In answer to your question," Fox continued, "I have someplace special planned for you."

Rex kept pushing his body onwards, like he did during the marches in his days of cadet training when he felt like he couldn't go on any longer. Somehow this was worse. He felt the weight of having let the 501st down. No, they weren't even _his_ Legion anymore. They belonged to Appo now. He'd given up the Ando Legion for this and now he had… nothing.

"We're here."

He stumbled. The movements of walking had become so automatic it was harder to stop than keep going. He blinked and stared down the two steps into the force shield. He couldn't see behind it, but he was sure there was someone back there. The guards parted way to make room for them. He turned back to scowl at Fox. A shared cell? With all the space here at RMB, he was sharing quarters with another prisoner. Fox ignored him. Just as well. He'd been on the receiving end of enough lectures for the day.

Fox nodded and the shock troopers lowered the force shield. The lights blinked out in the cell. The Coruscant Commander removed his binders. "In you go. You won't be allowed out for meals or exercise like the others. Food will be brought to you. The guard will be doubled now that you are here. It's the best I can do." He managed to mumble out 'di'kut' one more time under his breath, before giving Rex a shove into the dark interior of the cell.

"Rex?"

The force shield came back up and the lights automatically came back on in the cell.

"Tell me you planned this."

The slight note of disbelief was unmistakable.

"Cody," Rex sucked in a deep breath.

It seemed like days ago that Rex had been walking to the Temple with Fox and asking for a way to see Cody. He'd been told it was impossible. Now, through his own brash actions, unintentionally, and thanks to Fox's cleverness, they were back together again.

Rex spun around to thank Fox. There were a dozen reasons why the Coruscant Guard Commander could justify for putting them together. Easier to guard the two of them. They were a higher security risk. But, mainly Rex knew he owed Fox.

He felt the tight knot in his chest ease up a little. The brotherhood was holding, after all.

There was hope yet.

Cody rose up from where he was sitting on his bunk, and limped stiffly over to Rex. "This was all part of your clever strategies? You ended up here on _purpose _out of some misbegotten notion to save my hide." His gaze bore straight through Rex.

"Are you alright?" Rex asked, refusing to directly answer Cody's question. He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, scrutinizing his appearance. "Fox told me about the attack."

Cody pulled back his sleeve, revealing a bacta bandage still slowly seeping blood. "This is the worst of it." He touched it gingerly. "Blade went right through my arm." He pulled up his tunic. "This isn't too serious." He tapped his leg, and grimaced. "This hurts, though. Fox's men _shot_ me. Thanks for that!" He called out loudly to the guards at the door. One of them glanced back in through the force shield.

"I already apologized for that, Commander," called in the guard from the door.

Cody shook his head and called back. "Sorry is bumping into someone on the mess line. Not shooting them, Orli!"

The guard snorted. "Next time I get a chance, I'll shoot you in the other leg."

Cody scoffed. "You're a lousy shot. I'm not worried."

Rex raised up an eyebrow at the interplay back and forth between Cody and his guard.

Cody shrugged. "I've had no one else to talk to, and they're not bad vode, actually, other than the shooting me part." Rex took Cody's arm gently between both of his hands, examining the bloody bandage critically. "Fek, Cody."

Cody looked at him critically. "So, what's the plan?"

Rex gave him a blank look, caught off-guard.

Cody wasn't fooled for a moment. "You didn't do this on purpose? You actually got yourself thrown in the brig?"

Orli called out from across the force shield. "There better not be a plan."

"Go back to guarding," Cody admonished.

"I _am _guarding," Orli retorted.

Cody turned his attention back to Rex. "So, what are you doing here anyway? We knew there was a strong possibility I'd get tossed in here for being AWOL. But, you?"

Rex was moodily silent for a long moment. Gah. He'd just been through this with Fox. He stared up at the ceiling. The lights in this place. There was something about them. Were they deliberately trying to drive the inhabitants in here mad? He closed his eyes, scrubbing at them, still seeing the bright imprint of the lights behind his eyelids.

Cody waited patiently.

Rex snorted. Neither of them were going anywhere. He gave a short derisive laugh. "I fekked up Cody. I lost my temper with the Council. I shouldn't have let them get to me, but I did."

"He yelled at the Head of the Council, and was pulled out by the Temple Guards," contributed Orli.

"Orli!" Rex and Cody shouted together.

Cody turned his attention back to Rex. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. Cody was silent, taking this information in. "Ah, well, I suppose I could put you on report, Captain, but seeing as we're both in the brig, it would do little good."

Rex stared at him.

"That was a joke, Rex."

Rex blinked. Cody made a joke. The Cody he used to know would never have made a joke at a time like this.

"What's done is done. It _is_ good to see you. Been bored out of my shabla mind in here. No one to talk to except _Orli._"

"Hey!"

The 212th commander limped back to his bunk, and eased himself down. He groaned slightly as he shifted onto the bed. "Been boring as fek in this place, other than the attack by the bounty hunters, oh, and getting _shot _by the Corusant Guard. Lucky for me they can't shoot for osik."

"Right here you know," the shock trooper complained from the other side of the force shield. The two command clones ignored him.

Rex took a seat on the second bunk. Normally he would sit right next to Cody, as the two had done since their training days as cadets at Kamino, but he didn't want to disturb his wounds. "Any ideas as to why someone is after after you?"

"You seem to have started a clone rebellion."

A voice from the entrance of their cell startled both of them. It was Fox. He held up a datapad. "Message for you from the WolfPack. I have to screen everything. You can watch the message, but you can't keep the 'pad."

He lowered the force shield. He nodded to Orli, who deactivated the shield. The lights shut off. Rex walked over and retrieved the pad. Light glared into the cell from the corridor. Rex retreated back away from the entrance and Fox raised the forceshield again. Fox nodded, and turned and left, giving them a few minutes of privacy. It was a show of trust, leaving them alone with a piece of electronics equipment. The Coruscant commander was breaking a half dozen regs by doing so. It was most unlike Fox.

Odd.

Why would the WolfPack send a message to Cody?

Rex arched a questioning eyebrow at his brother. "The _WolfPack_?"

"I don't get it either. I've only worked with them a few times."

The 'Pack often operated as a standalone unit. It seemed to be their preferred mode of operation.

"Same," Rex said. Wolffe was a clone of few words, and losing his eye to Ventress hadn't improved his disposition.

Cody limped back over to his bunk and sat down, pushing his back up against the wall. Rex sat down carefully nearby, trying not to jostle his friend. Cody took a deep breath and played the message.

Wolffe's visage popped up as a holomessage, with his entire pack in the background. There were several new troopers Rex didn't recognize, evidence Wolffe was losing members of his team. They were on a descending gunship, their bodies shifting and moving with the rapid speed of their LAAT.

"Cody, need to make this brief," Wolffe begin in his usual deep baritone.

_When had he been anything else? _Rex wondered.

"We saw your transmission to the Jedi," Wolffe said, "and heard about your arrest. The WolfPack stands behind you, brother. Vode An."

_That was definitely brief, _Rex thought with an amused half-smile. _Typical Wolffe._

The entire pack snapped to attention, and saluted sharply into the vidcamera. The gunship shuddered and the WolfPack commander shouted out succinct orders to his team, not panicked, but crisp in the way Rex did when they were headed into a very hostile situation and every word had to count.

_Fek. He missed being in the thick of the action._

What was he doing sitting in a cell deep in the heart of the RMB?

The transmission stuttered to a stop.

Cody shut off the datapad. He stared down at the darkened screen as if still looking for answers. He looked up with hazel eyes so identical to Rex's, yet it was hard to know at that moment was going on in his brother's mind. Rex waited patiently for Cody to gather his thoughts.

Cody took a deep dragging breath. "Wolffe, he makes it sound like I-" He stopped and shook his head. He stopped and shook his head. "I didn't intend-"

"Cody," Fox's voice was sharp from the other side of the force shield, cutting off anything the 212th commander was about to say. "Come with me. Rex, you too." He gestured to Orli to drop the shield.

Cody looked over at Rex, eyebrow raised.

_What happened to not being able to leave?_

Fox had been adamant on that point. What had changed? He cast a look at Cody, suspicion and worry curling in his gut. He didn't understand any of it. He'd left the GAR under one set of rules, and even though he was now 'back' everything felt unfamiliar and different.

# # #

_A/N: OK, a bit of a cliffhanger. But, this was a very long chapter, and I needed to cut off it somewhere. More excitement, mystery and intrigue next week. For those who keep asking when the Jedi are going to wake up, they've only been home about a day now. But, our Jedi Generals are strong, and they'll recuperate very quickly. Rest assured. The Jedi thank you for your concern and for your well wishes on their speedy recovery._


	24. Chapter 24 The System

**Rex II**

**Chapter 24**

The 212th Commander looked at Rex and nodded his agreement. Rex gripped Cody by his uninjured arm and hauled him to his feet. Cody nodded, indicating he was alright, and limped stiffly over to the exit of their cell. He struggled up the four steps leading out of their cell. Rex didn't hesitate, sliding an arm around his waist, hauling his brother close to his side and expertly helping him up. He released him at the top.

"Shut it, Rex," Fox admonished. He raised up a controller off of his belt and pointed it toward the security cameras in the corridor. He reached over and took the WolfPack datapad back from Cody, sliding it into a pouch on his belt.

He nodded to Orli and the other three troopers standing guard with him. "Go on, take a break."

Orli cocked his helmet head to the side for a moment, glancing back and forth between Commander Cody and Commander Fox. "Sir?" He was clearly torn, not wanting to leave.

"_Orli_," Fox's tone brokered no argument.

"Sir,"Orli made a crisp hand signal to the other three shock troopers with him.

"Take care, Commander," he said to Cody, his voice not quite able to hide his reluctance to go. He walked away, casting one glance back, before disappearing around the corner.

Fox watched the guards leave. "Let's move. This way."

Cody grunted slightly from the exertion of moving with all his recent wounds.

"This better be important, Fox," Rex grumbled, casting a concerned look at Cody.

Fox turned his head sharply to stare at Rex, before addressing Cody. "How does Skywalker put up with _him_?"

Cody's lips turned up with amusement. "Have you _met_ Skywalker? Not sure there's another Captain who could handle him."

Rex blinked in surprise. It was high praise coming Cody. Fox considered Cody's words and conceded the point with a slight grunt. Rex glanced back at the controller Fox had placed back on his belt. What the fek was that all about?

"Fox," Rex started giving a nervous glance up to the security cams all around them.

Fox turned around and gave him a sharp glare that Rex felt even through the guard commander's helmet. They set off down the corridor at a swift pace. Cody limped along on his own, his movements stiff. He looked around, keenly feeling the absence of Orli and their usual guards. If Cody's life was in danger, then-

He had a very bad feeling about this.

"Fox," Rex demanded, "why did you-"

"Don't talk," Fox said harshly.

They rounded a corner and the lights went out.

Adrenaline flooded his body.

Had Fox betrayed them?

Instinct took over. Years of training on Kamino prepared Rex for this exact moment, and he slid in front of Cody. Although, in the sheer blackness of the windowless corridor, he had no idea where his attackers would strike. He heard the slight creak of armor moving in front of him and he positioned his hands for a kill strike.

_Bounty hunters. Disguised as clones. Fek it. They were not going to get Cody. Not this time._

_# # #_

Kix and Sly stood side-by-side in the Clinical Microbiology Lab, identical dark heads pressed together as they hunched over a macroscanner and scrutinized a blood sample.

Kix straightened up, scrubbing at his eyes tiredly. He blew out a deep breath and then stared back down at the sample again. He shook his head. "Fek it. I've got nothing here."

Sly continued to study the blood sample. "No, there's definitely something here."

"Where?" Kix immediately stared back down at the scanner.

"We just haven't found it yet," Sly amended.

Kix shot his fellow medic an annoyed look.

Sly cocked up an eyebrow. "No, I'm serious, Kix. I know the answers are here. Let's review what we do know. Echo sustained a serious puncture wound-"

"Which I treated," Kix said defensively.

"But, we're dealing with an unusual bacterium of unknown origin," Sly continued on, "Despite standard treatment protocols, the injury site still presented with infection and can now be characterized as a non-healing wound, resulting in significant pain and discomfort for the patient. The infection is now in the blood vessels and runs the risk of developing into osteomyletis."

Kix nodded and then concurred. He stared down at the blood sample again hoping it would give him a different answer somehow. It was a grim assessment. The way things were progressing, it was only a matter of time before the infection spread from Echo's blood vessels into his bones. And, while moving Echo to the showpiece senatorial wing also bought them some breathing room at ArmyMed, the system would eventually catch up with them, as well. One way or another they had to heal Echo quickly. They were running out of time.

_# # #_

Rex whipped his head around trying to figure out where the attack was coming from, and he knew without a doubt he would sacrifice himself to protect his brother. He heard a sharp intake of breath from Cody, and knew his vod was similarly going through the mental preparations for battle.

"Hold," Fox hissed, "it's me." He gripped Rex's arm. "Come with me. I've got Cody."

Rex blinked, completely disoriented from the massive amounts of adrenaline still pumping through his system.

_Fek it, Fox_. Rex needed to hit the Guard Commander now. Just… because.

They were led along, stumbling in the dark corridor for several minutes.

Infrared. Rex missed the night vision in his bucket. This was as bad as the time he ran headfirst into the pipe. Thankfully, no one saw _that _little misstep.

"In here," Fox said. He pressed them into another room, and switched on a low level lumen. Cody and Rex blinked at their new surroundings.

"What is this place?" Cody demanded.

"An unfinished section of the RMB," Fox said, "and the only area not wired and bugged."

"By whom?" Cody asked.

"Republic Intelligence. The Separatists. Take your pick. They're spying on us. We're spying on ourselves. Both. Either one. We've discovered taps all over the RMB, except in the unfinished areas. Those don't seem to be worth spying on since they're unoccupied. Point is, you have to watch everything you say and do. I'm scrambling the vidcams around you with the strongest encryption and have my best men working on it around the chorno. Underneath the encryption, I have layered a vid-loop to buy additional time. But, it is likely only a matter of time before they break through. You must watch everything you say."

"Who is _they_?" Rex demanded.

"Not sure," Fox said. "The High Council is well-intentioned enough, but they're out-of-touch with what is going on. The more I interact with them, the more I realize they're losing control… slipping more out of touch. Whatever happened this morning with this attempt on Cody, it goes higher up than that."

"Who, then?" Rex demanded.

Fox shook his head in frustration. "I don't know." He tapped the datapad on his belt. "Cody, when you arrived home with the two Legions and stood up to the Jedi Council, standing up for clones, refusing to let the Jedi board _your_ ship, you were finally standing up for clones everywhere. You can't begin to know what an impact that is having on clones everywhere throughout the fleet. It is as if you have finally given the clones_ a voice_. That is what Wolffe was trying to tell you."

Cody shook his head. "I never intended to-" He had not words to articulate this new development.

"Start a clone rebellion?" Fox didn't mince words.

Cody let out a long vitrol of curses, shaking his head in disbelief. ""How could one broadcast-"

"You're a _clone marshall Commander_, and you stood up to the highest ranking member of the Jedi Council," Fox said, pointing out the reality of what had happened.

Cody's eyes widened. "I was trying to protect my men." He glanced over quickly at Rex.

_And, Rex._

He shook his head.

_And, yet, Rex ended up here anyway._

"You basically dictated terms to the High Council with the weight of two entire Legions to back you up. And, they agreed to _your terms," _Fox shook his head in disbelief, and a look of wonder crossed his face as if he still couldn't believe it himself. "The Jedi took orders from you." He crossed his arms with satisfaction. "Everyone in the entire fleet heard it when it happened. It was the most significant moment in the history of the GAR since Jango donated his seed."

Rex pursed his lips thoughtfully as he considered everything Fox had said. "They say they designed us to think for ourselves. But, only to a point. _Too much _free thinking, like Cody did…" He folded his arms across his broad chest as if to comfort himself as understanding dawned. "Whoever it is that is tangled up in all of this, they're going to continue to try to kill him, aren't they?"

Fox nodded. "Somebody sure wants you dead. If there's one thing I've learned being around politicians, it's a far nastier battlefield than anything you're probably facing out on the 'Rim."

Both Cody and Rex snorted at once. Fox shook his head at their disbelief. "You have your battles. I have mine. But, believe me, my posting is far worse than yours, vode." The Coruscant Guard commander sounded both wistful and sad. "However, you have my word I will do everything in my power to keep you alive Cody." He turned to Rex. "And, you need to get your di'kut shebs out of here. I can protect Cody in here. Get back out of here and see if you can find out what is going on. You might need to call upon some help from your wild Jedi General."

Rex nodded thoughtfully. It was his understanding Generals Skywalker and Kenobi were due to be released from the Halls of Healing at the Temple soon. Hopefully, he and Cody wouldn't be forgotten. He knew Skywalker would often get awfully _distracted _when he was back on Coruscant. Rex hoped his General could spare some time for him.

Fox nodded toward the door. "Let's head back." He tapped the datapad on his belt again. "When you get back to the cell, watch what you say. I'm not sure how long the encryption will hold with so many people spying on everyone else. We're doing what we can. Assume someone might be listening. Could be me. Could be someone we don't know."

Cody nodded.

"What chance does he stand at his trial?"

Fox took his time replying. He gazed at his fellow command clones, his eyes glittering in the low light. "Cody has millions of clones behind him. But, whatever this is, goes so up, I don't know if _any_ clone can survive this system."

# # #

_A/N: I've received a question about when this story takes place. We are two years into the Clone Wars. It is after the Battle of Teth. The episode of the "Deserter" takes place a few months before Rex goes to TriLuna with Ahsoka, the mission that takes at the beginning of Rex I. We have one year left until the events of Order 66. The war is therefore 2/3 over. Things that are happening now are laying the foundation for events to come. _


	25. Chapter 25 Awakenings

**Rex II**

**Chapter 25**

Obi Wan woke up slowly, feeling like his head was fuzzy and clouded. He inhaled deeply and immediately recognized the lightly infused aroma of the southern wing of the Temple. He blew out an exasperated sigh and wondered what he'd done to be back in the miserable clutches of the Halls of Healing _this_ time.

"I see you're _finally_ awake, Master. I was beginning to think you were going to sleep all day."

Obi Wan peered an eye open and glanced over at Anakin. "Why is it you only call me Master when you want to be cheeky?"

Anakin was sitting up in a medbay bunk next to him. They'd obviously befallen the same calamity since they were stuck here together. He wondered if this was all Anakin's fault. A shuttle crash, perhaps?

"Dare I ask what happened?" Obi Wan asked, pushing himself up gingerly. He hurt less than he thought he would. He couldn't fault the healers for their work. He began testing his limbs, starting with his upper body and moving down. Everything seemed to be in good working order.

"Kaz'haria," Anakin spat the word out like an epithet. Obi Wan turned his full attention to Anakin as he sensed a cold surge of darkness from his former padawan. His eyes widened in concern, but as quickly as it had appeared it was gone again. "The battle went _very_ badly, Master. We were captured. The 501st. The 212th. All of us."

Obi Wan put a hand to his head, scrubbing a hand across his eyes as memories came rushing back. "Oh." With a gasp, he suddenly remembered something vitally important. "Cody! They were walking right into a minefield!" His heart rate sparked alarmingly setting off all manner of sensors. "Where is he? What happened?"

Anakin put out a steadying hand toward him. "_Calm down_. I don't know anything yet. Padawan Satcha came in a short while ago and brought us water, but wouldn't tell me _anything_."

He waved impatiently to a table between them. Just the brush of his hand sent the bottles of water flying across the room.

Anakin was anything but calm at the moment. Obi Wan blew out a sigh, and called both of the bottles of water back to the table. He handed one to Anakin. "Drink." He opened the other and took a long swallow. Gah. He was thirsty. And, hungry. How long had they been out? He tentatively felt down and prodded at his ribs. Not good. He didn't have a lot of fat on him to start with and now he felt downright skeletal. He looked at Anakin. "How did we get home? We were there so long."

Mace Windu walked in, followed by the Master Healer Vokara Che. "Your clone commanders took it upon themselves to rescue you," Mace Windu said without preamble. He nodded to Obi Wan and Anakin. "It is good to see both of you again. I understand from Master Che you will make a full recovery." He handed each of them a datapad. "I've prepared you both a briefing document."

Obi Wan accepted the datapad and his eyes swept over the contents, absorbing the details. "Commander Cody rescued me?!" He looked up at Mace. "How is that possible? He and the 212th Legion were-"

A certain animosity swept over the High Council member at the mention of Cody. Obi Wan blinked in surprise.

"Your Commander was injured at Kaz'haria," Mace clarified. "Critically injured. He was sent to Ord Cestus. We made special accommodations for his care. In return, he decided to go _AWOL_ and take a number of men from both the 501st and the 212th with him. He sabotaged the medical station and stole a shuttle. It is all there in the report."

Obi Wan stared down at the datapad as of the device itself was betraying him. "There must be another explanation. Commander Cody's behavior has always been exemplary. He would never-"

He was interrupted by Anakin's exclamation of shock. "Rex is alive?!" He was staring down at his datapad like he was holding a Brvol-snake. He looked at Mace, wide-eyed and incredulous. "Is this true?"

Mace took a deep breath. "Yes. Your Captain is alive."

"Where is he? I want to see him. Now."

Mace shook his head. "That's not possible."

"What do you mean?"

"He has been locked up for contempt of Council."

Anakin's eyes widened. "He what?"

"Your Captain is currently over at the prison, sharing a cell with Commander Cody," Mace folded his arms across his chest.

"Someone tried to assassinate Cody?!" Obi Wan said, both listening to Mace, and reading the datapad at the same time.

"The attempt was not successful," Mace said.

Obi Wan tossed off his thin therma-blanket. "We're going over there."

"You have not been cleared to leave," Master Che said sternly.

"Oh, I think we have," Anakin said.

Mace shook his head. "Let them go."

# # #

Obi Wan had no idea what to expect as the walked through the vast halls of the RMB. It was a ghastly place. He truly had no idea what the Republic had been thinking in building the place. Why did they need such a big facility? He followed Commander Fox and his silent squad of 'shock troopers' through the seemingly endless corridors. Who thought of that name anyway? Who were they meant to 'shock'? There were more prisoners than Cody had thought possible locked up in the row after row of identical cells, almost all of them clones. _Why_?

Cody and Rex were both laying back on their bunks staring at the ceiling.

"Caf," Rex murmured tiredly, "I could go for good Republic caf. None of the Kazzie sludge that twists your gut. But a good of good 'ol trooper cup." His voice was almost delirious with fatigue.

"What you need is sleep," Cody responded. "You're beyond tired. And, food. Something besides for that fekkin' purple fruit."

"Food would be good," Rex agreed. "When do they-"

"You have visitors," Commander Fox said interrupting their conversation. "Orli. The shield."

"I thought we're not allowed to have-" Cody started, and then his voice caught in his throat, before he whispered one word. "General." He leapt up from his bunk, and then groaned slightly at the sudden movement. Rex caught him by the elbow and helped him up.

"Generals," Commander Fox said, dipping his chin respectfully to the two Jedi, "Orli will let you out when you're done." He stepped back, and the force shield closed behind them.

Obi Wan walked up to Cody and drank in the sight of him. He'd felt a connection with Cody from the beginning. Cody was more than his commander. He was a friend.

Anakin walked up to Rex, staring at him in amazement. "Rex," Anakin said, voice choked with emotion.

Rex released Cody, and stood up completely straight. He tucked his hands behind his back at perfect parade rest. Even though his armor had been taken away and he was now dressed in the prison garb of the RMB, he was the epitome of the perfect soldier.

"General," Rex said, allowing himself to be inspected closely. It was obvious from his stiff posture and his demeanor he expected to be disciplined by his General. His eyes remained fixed on the wall in front of him.

"Rex," Anakin started again, and without warning he grabbed Rex into a brotherly embrace. The sudden unexpected contact assaulted his brain with dual images of light and dark so powerful he gasped. It was too much. It felt like the sudden, first sickening contact with the Sith Witch.

What was happening?

"Ah!" his entire body felt cold all over at once, and he sank down to one knee.

"General! Is everything alright in there?"Orli lowered the force shield, staring in at full-alert, his weapon raised to fire.

"Rex!" Anakin dropped down to one knee next to him, "what's wrong?" He squeezed Rex's shoulder even more tightly.

Rex forcibly pulled back from Skywalker and stumbled backwards, collapsing onto his side. There was a dark aura around his General, terrifying and suffocating. Cody rushed over to him, dropping to one knee, casting a concerned look at Skywalker before turning his full attention to Rex. His brown eyes looked into his brother's, imploring him to tell him what was going on.

Rex squeezed his eyes shut, still gasping for air. He gripped Cody's sleeve, tapping out a basic clone hand signal.

_Vod. Cover me. _

_"General? Do you require assistance? Should I call for Commander Fox?" _Orli entered the cell followed by three other shock troopers.

Cody placed himself in front between General Skywalker and Rex.

"He's exhausted, General," Cody said, turning to Skywalker. "He was badly injured battling the Kaz'harian leader. Chest shot at very close range. He hasn't gotten much rest since then. Been working non-stop, sir. Then the Council demanded he report in and they locked him up and threw him in here. He's completely battle fatigued, sir."

Anakin frowned with concern leaning closer toward his Captain. Rex tried not to flinch.

He scrutinized Rex. "He looks _terrible_." He looked back at Obi Wan. "Maybe we should have one of the healers at the Temple look at him. Perhaps even Master Che?"

A Jedi Master Healer?

Rex moaned.

_Gah. Fek. No._

Rex was still holding onto Cody, gripping his sleeve.

_Cody. No._

Anakin reached for Rex but Cody blocked him again. Skywalker frowned.

"Respectfully, sir," Cody said, "Captain Rex needs rest and plenty of it." He looked pointedly over at the Generals. "I'm sure he would sleep better back over at the _barracks_. Among brothers. And, then we'd have our own medics to keep an eye on him."

Rex closed his eyes, and rolled over slightly so he was facing the grey wall of the cell.

"I'm going to go speak with the Chancellor, _immediately_," Skywalker said. "This entire situation is intolerable. The Chancellor will listen to _me_."

Rex heard the distinctive tread that could only be Anakin Skywalker leaving the cell. He sighed with relief.

"What was that all about?" General Kenobi's voice was deceptively light, but he was standing over Rex.

Rex was feeling better now that Anakin had left.

"Sir?"

"Oh no, don't give me that 'sir' routine 'Captain.'"

"General, I don't think I should-"

Rex didn't want to betray Skywalker, and what he'd felt was too awful for words.

Kenobi stared intently at the 501st Captain. "Explain yourself."

Rex pulled himself carefully up into a seated position, and scrubbed at his skull. It still ached from the intensity of his encounter with Skywalker.

"You felt something, just now," Kenobi prompted.

"Yes," Rex admitted honesty.

Kenobi rearranged himself on the bunk so he was seated beside Rex. Cody joined them.

"What was it?" Kenobi's voice was edged with concern, as if he suspected something already, but it had nothing to do truly to do with Rex. There was something much bigger here at stake.

"I'm not exactly sure," Rex admitted. He rubbed at the sides of his skull again. Gah. "I only felt… " He blew out a long sigh, and spread his hands in frustration. "It doesn't make sense to me, sir."

"Can you show me?" Kenobi reached toward him.

Rex immediately recoiled, backing into Cody and nearly knocking him off the bunk. The 212th commander hissed from the impact into his injuries. Rex reached around to steady him, casting him an apologetic look.

"Easy, Rex!" Kenobi assured him. "I'm not going to hurt you." He frowned. "What happened when Anakin touched you?"

Rex frowned and chewed at his lip. Skywalker was his General.

"You're not in trouble, Rex," Kenobi assured him. "This is very important. I need to know what you saw." He reached out a hand toward Rex again.

"It was…" Rex blew out a deep breath, and nodded. Kenobi touched a gentle hand on his brow. He mentally steeled himself for incredible pain like when Skywalker had touched him. This was nothing like the other Jedi's touch. It was also nothing like when Ahsoka touched him. Kenobi was pure light. Almost blindingly so. Rex flinched from the intensity of it and suddenly wondered why wasn't General Kenobi the Chosen One? He released his burden and showed the General what he'd just seen. Kenobi gasped and staggered back.

After a moment, they both opened their eyes again.

Kenobi looked at Rex, his blue eyes more intense than Rex had ever seen them. "Tell _no one_ what you have seen."

Rex nodded. Too shaken to speak.

Without another word, Kenobi stood up and briskly left for the door of the cell.

Understanding a top-secret directive when he heard one, Cody asked no questions. He curled up his knees to his chest, and said silent and unmoving next to Rex. But, Rex could sense his questions. They were best friends, and had shared the darkest of times together. But, they couldn't discuss this. Rex sighed deeply and nestled his face down onto his lap.

Aw, fek it.

Cody slung an arm around him.

"It'll be alright, vod," Cody murmured. "Oy, Orli!" he shouted. "How about you get us some caf and food?" Help a brother out."

"I'll see what I can do, commander."

Rex sighed and leaned against Cody, taking comfort from his presence. He was asleep before the food arrived.

# # #


	26. Chapter 26 While I Was Sleeping

**A/N: **_My parents are visiting for the next week so I considered putting updates on hiatus while I did the family thing. I gave it some more thought and decided I could still get the chapters done. I would simply stay up late, get up early and write during those wee hours in the middle of the night when I can't sleep anyway. __There are advantages to be an insomniac. In that frame of mind, I decided to a themed week of writings entitled "Sleep Week." __The first of the Sleep Week themed chapters is Rex and Cody on a bunk in the RMB. Rex is napping. Dreaming. And, using his Commander as a pillow._

**Rex II**

**Chapter 26**

Cody shifted slightly trying to get comfortable. His arm had long ago gone numb from the dead weight of Rex asleep against his shoulder. It wasn't the limb which the bounty hunter had skewered. His injured arm was sore, but healing thanks to regular visits from the medic, Silver. But, he knew he'd have to move soon because his entire body was stiffening up from sitting in this position too long. Like all clones, Rex was a heavy shab'buir after a while. Too much solid muscle from all that genetic engineering.

Despite the discomforts of his body, Cody lingered a few moments longer. He craned his neck slightly so he could study Rex's sleeping form.

His vod was finally sleeping peacefully, his stern features evened out. Even if they both made it through all of this, he didn't know when he'd get to spend time with Rex again. As stressful as the past two weeks had been, it was good fighting alongside his brother again. He closed his eyes briefly, remembering the pain almost three months back when he'd been told Rex was lost.

Rex mumbled incoherently in his sleep and shifted slightly, pressing closer against his brother's shoulder. Cody's lips quirked slightly in amusement.

_Easy there, Rex. We're close. But not that close._

But, Cody understood. Rex could only relax enough to sleep when someone he trusted was watching his back. Made sense. The knot in his chest had eased once Fox had pushed Rex into the cell with him. Of course, he'd still need to figure out some disciplinary action later for Rex's stunt with the High Council, (assuming they both made it out of here.) But, in the meantime, it still helped immeasurably not being in here alone.

Being one of the highest ranking clones in the entire fleet made it difficult to make friends. Most clones couldn't seem to get past his rank, and Cody had to keep his distance to maintain discipline. Trapper was one of the few who seemed to be able to walk a fine line and still put in the effort to be friends with him. Rex had been friends with him since Kamino and could still be counted on to follow orders to perfection.

Cody frowned and studied Rex again.

_Except... now. _

_You get yourself thrown into the brig What happened to you?_

Rex's spotless record was now stained. Cody knew it was no coincidence it happened as soon as Rex returned from his mysterious absence, the details of which he still wouldn't discuss. After they'd finished planning out their cover story, Rex had gone silent about the fierce fighting force he'd brought with him to Darkknell.

_Only Rex could be sent off to Kamino and return instead with his own personal army. _

His vod was deep in REM sleep, his body completely lax and his eyelids flickering rapidly.

Cody's muscles twinged painfully, reminding him he needed to move soon. He tamped down the discomfort, reluctant to disturb his brother. He stared out at the red and black crisscross pattern on the floor thinking back over the earlier visit with their Generals.

_Not sure what I imagined that reunion would be like, but Rex collapsing and then swearing a secret oath to Kenobi was nowhere on the list._

Skywalker had always been a bit... odd, but this was different. Rex would occassionally mention his General had a quick temper. But, this was... Cody didn't know what it was, and he'd been ordered not to pursue it.

Unable to sit still any longer, Cody eased Rex down onto the bunk. He did his best to get him into some semblance of a comfortable sleeping position. Rex's eyes fluttered briefly open at the change in position, but didn't fully awaken.

Cody stood slowly, grimacing as his stiff muscles protested and his numb arm tingled painfully back to life. He gave his body a moment to adjust and then began slowly pacing the cell to ease the ache in his muscles.

Orli glanced into the cell. "I have your food, Commander." He lowered the force shield, and brought in a covered tray. With a practiced swipe of his arm, he pulled out the tiny stub built into the wall that served as a table for prisoners confined to their cells. A hard numb of a bench slid out below it, barely wide enough to sit on. But, it was better than sitting on the floor. The Republic did have some standards, after all. "The caf might be lukewarm by now, but the food should still be hot. There's another tray out in the hall for the Captain."

"This is perfect. Thanks, Orli."

The shock trooper nodded. He hesitated before leaving the cell. He glanced up at the security camera. Fox mentioned he'd assigned a team working to keep the cams scrambled, but he still advised extreme caution.

Orli spoke quietly, his voice almost inaudible. "For whatever it's worth, sir, I hope you make it back to your command. I saw your broadcast." He shook his head. "Never seen a clone do anything like that before."

Cody closed his eyes and took a deep bracing breath. He opened them again. "Orli," he responded quietly, "I was only trying to protect the men under my command. Nothing more."

"Understood, sir," Orli responded quietly, "but it does make a clone think." He nodded respectfully to Cody, turned and left the cell.

# # #

_A/N: There's a Part II to this scene involving Skywalker. But, I'll save it for next week._


	27. Chapter 27 Free At Last

**Rex II**

**Chapters 27**

"Rex, Cody," Fox's voice from behind the force shield drew their attention. Rex dropped chest first to the floor and rolled lightly to his feet, scooping up his tunic. He helped Cody up off his bunk, and they both headed over to the cell entrance. Fox gave Rex's sweat covered form a once over. "Got bored, Rex?"

Rex shrugged, wiping his face on his sleeve. "A little."

"Good. Then, you'll be pleased to know _you're_ getting out."

"What?" He blinked in surprise.

Fox gestured and General Skywalker walked into sight.

Rex stared at Skywalker, wondering which version of the General he was seeing. Nothing seemed amiss about the man. He was exactly as Rex remembered him from before his mission to TriLuna. He was confident, eager and commanding. He was all Skywalker. There was nothing dark about him. Had Rex imagined it all? Was exhaustion causing his mind to play tricks on him?

"Rex, you are free to go," Skywalker said proudly. "I fixed everything with the Chancellor. He even wants to talk to you personally." He glanced over at Cody. "I put in a few words on your behalf, as well, Commander." The Jedi smiled. "He might even be able to intervene on behalf of your trial. Change it up so he can oversee your case personally. Good news, huh?"

Cody stared at General Skywalker and couldn't quite identify why none of this seemed like good news. He was speechless for a moment, before he finally managed to stutter out the prerequisite: "Thank you, sir."

"Come on, Rex," Skywalker said, gesturing impatiently to his former second in command.

Rex hesitated, looking over at Cody.

"Go on," Cody said, gesturing his head toward Skywalker. "I might still be a while."

"Cody," Rex said thickly, not sure what to say. He wasn't sure when he would see his friend again. What if things didn't go well with Cody's trial?

"Rex," Skywalker sounded like he was losing his impatience.

"You better go," Cody said.

Rex reached down and gripped Cody's arm in the traditional Mando'a handshake. He didn't have any words. Nothing that could sum up their friendship and what Cody meant to him.

He turned and headed out of the cell, a sinking feeling in his heart. He felt he was failing Cody by leaving him behind in the prison. Cody turned and headed back to his bunk.

"Orli," Rex pulled the guard aside, risking the wrath of Skywalker again, "watch out for him."

"You know I will, sir."

He could feel Skywalker's goodwill fading and knew he couldn't push the man anymore. The man's moods were stormier than the Kaminoan sea. He glanced back one last time at Cody. He was sitting alone on his bunk, the red and black lights of the cell floor casting an eerie light across his face. He nodded to Rex.

Go.

Rex swallowed hard. He walked between Fox and Skywalker headed back toward the security office, an escort of shock troopers behind them.

"Captain Rex, you are remanded into the custody of General Skywalker until a formal hearing as requested by the Jedi Council," Fox announced.

Rex blinked. I'm being disciplined directly by the fekkin' Council? He felt his insides freeze. Might as well reserve my space on the next outbound Kaminoan bound ship now.

"Your armor will be returned to you, but not your comms or your weapons. Is that understood?"

Rex nodded, finding it difficult to breathe.

"It'll be alright, Rex," Skywalker said reassuringly, "I won't let anything happen to you."

"If you say so, sir," Rex attempted to keep his tone respectful, but having been tossed through the system once it was difficult to believe this was going to end well.

"Rex-" Skywalker began, and looked around at their surroundings. They were passing by dozens of cells and their conversation was being overheard by Fox and the shock troopers escorting them. "We'll talk when we return to _the Resolute_."

Rex startled. "_The Resolute,_ sir?"

"I got our ship back," Skywalker said proudly. "Obi Wan is working on getting ahold of the Negotiator. I put in a good word for him, as well, of course. We need to get our ship back in order. As soon as we get these formalities-" he made a dismissive gesture with one hand, "-behind us, we're shipping out. "

Shipping out? To where? Was the 501st being deployed again?

Rex felt a leap of hope. He gave Skywalker a quizzical look. Was his rank truly be restored. "Sir?"

Skywalker laughed. "Now, you sound exactly like the Rex I know." He slapped Rex hard on the shoulder.

Rex couldn't dodge the move in time. He felt… nothing. No darkness. No conflicts going on inside the General. It was as if the episode in the cell before had never happened. He heaved out a sigh of relief. It was simply a flashback. Such things happened to overwrought soldiers all the time. He'd need to discuss it with General Kenobi at some point. Except he was under sworn oath to not talk about it. So, did that mean he simply had to let the matter drop?

"Rex?" Skywalker was studying him, a concerned look on his face? "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, sir. Everything is alright, now." He'd let the matter drop.

He felt the first surge of hope that perhaps everything was going to return to normal.

# # #

Upon arrival at Fox's office, Skywalker and Rex signed clearance and release forms. The flimsiwork seemed endless, and he was devastated not to get his twin blasters returned to him. Fox led him back to a storage room. He handed him back his body glove and his armor minus comms and helmet. Rex shucked his prison garb right there and re-suited back up. Skywalker accompanied them and watched him silently, staring down at Rex's leg curiously.

Rex knew he had questions since last time they'd seen each other his leg had almost been in two pieces. Now, he was back in full fighting form, against all odds. Rex finished suiting up, casting his helmet a mournful look at where it still sat in the storage locker next to his blasters.

"Regulations, Rex," Fox said, shaking his head, "If you don't want to lose your kit, don't take on the Jedi Council."

Skywalker's lips twisted up in a smile. "Oh, I don't know about that. I heard he gave Master Windu a good talking down. I'm sorry I missed it."

Rex looked at his General in surprise. Fox cast the Jedi General a look. He nodded to General Skywalker. "He's all yours, then, General." He shook his head slightly. "Good luck." Rex wasn't sure which of them the comment was directed towards, so he simply settled for nodding respectfully to the RMB commander.

The shock troopers walked them as far as the perimeter of the prison grounds and then suddenly fell away. He set foot back out in the streets of Coruscant. He was free again. Sort of.

"Come on," Skywalker said, gesturing with his chin, "we're heading to the Temple."

Rex halted. "Sir?" He had to face the Council already?

Skywalker smiled at the expression on Rex's face, reading his thoughts. "No. I have business I need attend to with Senator Amidala so I'm putting my padawan in charge of you until I return."

Rex sucked in a breath.

Skywalker glanced at him sharply. "Is there an issue?"

"No, sir."

Skywalker gave him a puzzled look. "I would have thought you would like some time with Ahsoka. You two always seemed to enjoy spending time together-"

Rex cursed Fox for taking away his helmet. He was grateful for the sudden distraction of two nearby Muuts being getting their leashes entangled. The large canines attacked each other even as their frazzled owners shouted desperately, trying to to pull them apart. Skywalker surged forward to help, calming the creatures with ease. Rex sank back into the crowd, glad to hide his flushed features.

The pampered Coruscanti citizens were gushing over Skywalker and his Jedi skills, especially once they recognized him from the holonet. They were starting to attract a large crowd. Rex faded further in the background. Skywalker loved the spotlight, much as he argued otherwise. The Jedi General posed for a number of holos and then pulled himself free. He gazed around in puzzlement. "Rex? Where are you?"

"Here, sir," Rex slipped back forward out of the crowd. "Nicely done, sir," Rex said, as he returned to his side, and they continued on toward the Temple.

Skywalker made a dismissive gesture with one hand. Such things were nothing to him, of course. "Where were we, Rex?"

"You will be remitting me into the custody of Commander Tano, sir, while you attend a meeting with Senator Amidala."

"Right. I'm not sure how long my meeting will go. These things have a tendency of dragging out. You know senators. These events go on all night sometimes."

"Understood, sir," Rex said crisply, once again in control.

Fek. He was leaving him alone with Ahsoka. At the Temple. He supposed it was less awkward then having to be in the custody of General Windu all night at the Temple, but he still had no idea how he was going to handle the situation. The last time he'd seen Ahsoka he was being led away in disgrace to the RMB.

# # #

_A/N: Rex and Ahsoka alone at the Temple. What could possibly happen?_


	28. Chapter 28 A Night to Remember

_*** A/N: In the past, I've issued warnings on chapters like this one. Readers have told me such warnings are not necessary. Apparently, these warnings are generally either ignored or such things simply make readers rub their hands in glee and look forward to the chapter even more. In that note, rub your hands in glee. This is one of those more intense chapters. (See what I did there? That was a warning anyway.) ***_

**Rex II**

**Chapter 28**

"Uh, sir," Rex said as he hurried to match his stride to Skywalker's, "if you would allow me to return to the barracks, I'm sure Admiral Yularen could be tasked with-"

Skywalker cut him off before he could continue. "Already tried that, Rex. The Council was specific about keeping this as a Jedi matter. I'm responsible for you until your hearing."

Rex quirked up an eyebrow, wondering how that translated to leaving him with Ahsoka. He knew better than to argue with Skywalker. He gave a crisp nod. "Of course, sir."

"Look, Rex, I know none of this has been easy on you. It's been a tough couple of months for all of us. We'll get this matter with the Council settled behind us, get the Legion back in shape, and it'll all settle out. You'll see."

Skywalker was trying. That much was obvious. He acknowledged his General's efforts with a nod. "Yes. Thank you, sir."

They were silent for the rest of the walk to the Temple. Coruscant seemed overly loud after the time Rex had spent on Ando. He normally had his bucket on out in the streets. He was keenly aware of the lack of filters now between him and the glaring lights, sounds and smells. He was relieved when they left the boulevard behind and entered the somber quiet of the Jedi Temple. It wasn't his favorite place, but at least it was away from the overwhelming chaos that was Coruscant.

"Ah, there you are Snips."

Rex bristled, wondering why Skywalker insisted on still using the childish nickname for his padawan. Rex had stopped calling her 'kid' once she stopped acting like one.

"Hello, Rex. Good to see you free again."

He straightened up his spine and faced Ahsoka. She looked good. Healthy. He wondered if she'd spent some time with the Jedi Healers, or if being back at the Temple simply agreed with her. But, her coloring was better, and she seemed to have regained the bounce back in her step. It was a relief to see she was getting back what the Kaz'harians had taken away.

"I have to go," Skywalker said, giving an impatient glance down at his chrono as if he had more important places to be. "Ahsoka, I know you've got this. I'll be back… eh… when my business is completed. The Council said it might be at least a day, maybe two, before they can get to your hearing."

Rex felt his stomach tighten in knots at the thought of another hearing before the Council.

Skywalker gave him a companionable slap on the back. "Don't worry, Rex. We'll get through this." He was confident and calm, and then he was gone.

Rex stood in the hallway alone with Ahsoka, staring at her awkwardly. He shook his head. "Commander, I must apologize for-" He didn't know how to sum up how badly he fekked up in the Council Chambers.

"Come on," Ahsoka said, looking around at their public surroundings and tugging him by the arm, "this is no place to talk."

Rex strode dutifully by Ahsoka's side, trying to feel inconspicuous in his incomplete armor. None of the Jedi they passed gave him a second glance, but the troopers around gave him noticeably long looks from under their buckets.

Ahsoka cast him an exasperated look as they walked along. When they entered the lift, thankfully it was unoccupied except for the two of them. "You're so tense, I think you're going to snap that armor, Rex."

His jaw tightened even further at the mention of his armor, and he glanced down at himself self-consciously. He wished again he'd been allowed to return to the barracks. He didn't belong here. He could feel himself boiling over with anger, much as he tried to reign it in.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Rex didn't trust himself to speak anyway. He had no idea of their destination since this was a part of the Temple unfamiliar to him. He kept his eyes fixed straight, dutifully playing the role of trooper escort. All the Jedi they passed continued to ignore them. Clone troopers had become commonplace in the Temple.

They took a sudden turn and entered a quiet hallway. Ahsoka glanced back and forth up and down the corridor. "OK, this way. Quickly." She gestured to him and made a dash for a doorway toward the end of the corridor. Rex quickened his steps to keep pace. Ahsoka palmed the door controls and pushed him inside.

Rex stumbled slightly, and then caught his balance. He looked around the darkened interior in confusion. "Commander-"

"Rex, if you call me 'Commander' one more time-" She shook her head and started again. "It's confusing now that we are back, figuring who we are and what are our boundaries. But, when it's you and me together, it's Ahsoka." She reached forward and gripped both her hands in his, and the simple contact sent jolts of feeling rushing through him.

He pulled back and away, not trusting himself to be near her. "Where are we?"

She waved her hands and the lights came on. "My quarters." The room was simple and not overly large, but held a few touches that identified the space as being uniquely _Ahsoka_. At any other time, he would have been curious about the place she spent her time outside of _the Resolute_, but being here now wove ribbons of anxiety through his gut.

"Why am _I _here?"

"It is the most private spot I could think of where we could talk. Anakin charged me to watch over you, but didn't specify how. And, knowing Anakin, he is not going to be back for a while. His Senate engagements take a long time."

If Ahsoka found this behavior from her Master odd, she didn't show it. She kept her tone neutral and nonjudgmental as accepting of his faults as he always seemed to be of her shortcomings.

Rex scrubbed at the back of his neck nervously and looked around. He was in Ahsoka's _room_. He closed his eyes for a brief moment to compose himself, and tried to get his thoughts together. Fek. He felt so rattled after the past few days. But, an apology. It would be a good start. "Ahsoka, about what happened with the Council, I never should have-"

She put up a hand forestalling any further apology. "You don't need to apologize, Rex. From what I hear, you were provoked into it."

Rex stared at Ahsoka. Who told her that?

Ahsoka continued: "I had tea with Master Plo Koon. He wanted to catch up with me and hear about all that had happened during my time away." She smirked in a way he'd found endearing even back during the days when her behavior still annoyed him to end. "Of course, I left a few things out."

Rex's eyes widened at the name of General Plo Koon. Fek. He'd almost forgotten about his recent run-in with the Jedi Master outside the Council Chambers. The past few days had been a disaster of epic proportions.

"Are you alright?" Ahsoka's eyes were filled with compassion and concern he knew he didn't deserve. He turned away. "Rex, come on. What's wrong? Talk to me. We haven't spoken since we returned-"

He whirled on her, knowing he shouldn't be taking his anger out on Ahsoka but he couldn't keep everything bottled up any longer. "What's wrong? Cody is locked up and somebody is trying to kill him. I was supposed to be watching out for our men, and all I did was make things worse but stirring things up with the Council. I thought in coming back here that everything could go back to the way things were, but it feels like everything changed while I was gone." He scrubbed a hand through his hair again. Unable to stay still, he started pacing the room. "I made a mistake in coming back. I should have gone with the others. I don't belong here any longer. Maybe the Legion is better off under Appo-"

He wasn't prepared for the sharp slap. He hadn't even heard Ahsoka cross the room. He stopped dead in his tracks, staring at her. She'd never struck him before. Not in anger. "You don't get to do that, Rex," Ahsoka said, her eyes blazing with fury. "No second guessing. Now, tell me why you came back."

His jaw worked, still feeling so tight with tension he could feel a fierce headache coming on. "For my men. I had a duty to-"

"No."

Rex glowered at Ahsoka, but he stopped, waiting for her to explain.

"Your duty ended when you freed those men. Cody could have brought them back. You were _free_, Rex. A rare opportunity never offered to clones, and you gave it up. Why?"

His heart was pounding, and his throat was dry. He couldn't do this. He couldn't answer. Rex shook his head.

"Why did you come back, Rex?" Ahsoka demanded again.

No. They said they weren't going to do this. He tried one last tactic. "I told Cody I would-"

"This isn't about Cody." Ahsoka's voice cut through the room. "Why?"

_Shab. Why was she doing this to him?_

He shook his head again and walked over to the small window high above the streets of Coruscant. The sun was going down and it bathed the room in a warm red light.

"You owe me an answer," Ahsoka pushed, following him over to the window and trying to spin him around to face her.

He resisted.

"Rex-" she pressed again.

"I came back for you, alright!" Rex exploded, spinning around and gripping Ahsoka's upper arms. "Is that what you wanted to hear? There was one thing life out there couldn't offer me-" He released her and made a wild, frustrated gesture toward the window and the seeming freedom it offered beyond. "- and that was… you."

The words tumbled out of him in a rush and he regretted them as soon as he said them. He'd told himself he wasn't going to do this, and he was going to keep everything he felt for Ahsoka bottled up inside. They had to go back to being Captain and Commander. They couldn't-

A strangled sound escaped Ahsoka and she hooked a leg around the back of Rex's knees with the quickness of a trained Jedi. He fell backwards, toppling to the polished floor. The air exploded out of his lungs in a rush and he grunted from the impact.

"Rex," she said in one word of breathless possession, before her lips settled down on his- so soft and perfect. Claiming him.

_No, no, no, we can't do this…._

But, he knew he was lost. As soon as she touched him, his entire being was consumed with need for _Ahsoka_. He couldn't stop. Not now. Kissing her was so familiar and sweet. His hands found her lek and stroked down length. So perfect. One for each hand. She moaned and pushed against him, encouraging him on as they kissed and he thoroughly explored the sensitive organs. He settled into a stroking pattern and felt her body respond. Magnificent. So much better than cleaning his decee.

Ahsoka groaned and tore at his armor, eager to remove the barriers between them. In a mass of twisted limbs, clothing and bits of armor fell off around them. He pushed the most important bits of her clothing up and around her waist, too impatient to undress her fully. He would explode if he didn't get as much of her as possible. Rex was only partially undressed, his backplate, pauldron and leg armor still attached. But, his bodysuit was torn open and Ahsoka's lips worked a trail of fire down the muscles of his chest. Her lips continued their descent and boldly took him inside of her mouth. He bucked and bit down on his lip to keep from shouting out, feeling blood trickle down his chin.

He stared down at Ahsoka, his mind still trying to grasp the reality this was actually happening. She was so beautiful. He'd never forget this sight. He pulled one of her lek into his mouth and imitated the motion she was doing on his lower body. He was building quickly and knew he couldn't last.

"Ahsoka," his words were a plea. They had to finish this... now. Ahsoka shifted positions until she was under him. He trembled with need. The core of her touched against him and it was a shocking sensation. He hesitated. Ahsoka bucked upwards and wrapped her legs around his hips. He needed no further encouragement. He pulled her legs even higher and pressed himself forward. He captured her lips again, needing to kiss her again and it muffled the sound of their cries as they finally joined.

He froze, holding still. Worry for Ahsoka pierced through his red haze of passion.

"Are you-" he started, finding it difficult to speak. Ahsoka didn't answer, but pulled his mouth back down into a kiss long and lingering. He relaxed back into the familiar feel of kissing her, still reluctant to move for fear of hurting her. Ahsoka shifted her hips and started a pace between them, gentle and slow at first, showing him how she wanted him to move. He picked up the rythmn and joined in moving their bodies in sync. He didn't rush her. He would not hurt her.

It was agonizing to move slowly. It would kill him.

But, slowly the pace built. Sweat broke out on his brow, and the pace built up. So much better than he'd imagined. So sweet.

"Ahsoka," he moaned out against her mouth.

The torrent of feeling built between them and when it seemed it could not crest his body burst with a final surge of white hot pleasure. His entire body tensed up and Rex crushed his mouth against Ahsoka to keep from yelling as loudly as he did when disciplining shinies.

Ahsoka's hand gripped his backplate so tightly he heard the plastoid crack. "_Rex!_" her back arched up and she clenched around him. His hipbones flared with pain against the squeezing action of her strong legs. Bruises. He'd have them everywhere. But, he knew he'd never forget the sound of his name as she cried it out in passion, entwined around him. It was the most glorious sound he'd ever heard.

Barely able to pace his breathing, he wrapped his arms around her possessively. He knew he could never let her go. Why had he ever thought he could?

He reversed their positions and shifted Ahsoka on top of him. Her heart was beating rapidly against his skin. She was _his_. Ahsoka's head nestled against his bare chest, her montrals trailing down to tickle at his sides. He memorized the sensation, knowing he could carry it into battle with him. This was the Republic worth fighting for, and this is what he would die to protect.

She shifted slightly, and he felt some of the aftermath of their lovemaking drift down his leg. His eyes widened as the repercussions of what they'd done suddenly sank in.

Lance. He'd fathered a child on Ando.

"Ahsoka," he said, reluctant to disturb her dozing state, but knowing he had to bring this up. "Since we…" He felt himself flushing red with embarrassment. Oh, fek, he couldn't believe what they'd just done. "Er… clones have the ability to… We didn't… eh… take any precautions…"

His skin rumbled with movement and his stomach sank. Was Ahsoka crying? He went cold inside. He'd ruined everything. But, a second later, her head lifted and it became clear she was _laughing_. Her movements tickled his skin. She lifted up her head and looked at him, her eyes dancing with amusement. "You're trying to say you're worried about me getting pregnant?"

"Yes," Rex's expression remained grim, "this is serious, Ahsoka."

She shook her head. "Jedi don't get pregnant so easily. We have to _want_ it. Accidental pregnancies are not an issue."

Rex's eyes widened. "You have that choice?"

She nodded, her chin rubbing against his chest. It was not an unpleasant sensation. "There are some advantages to being a Jedi." She traced a pattern against his chest, and if he wasn't mistaken, it was an imitation of the Jaig eyes on his helmet. "Don't know about you, but I'd like to be doing that _again_."

"Now?" Rex's eyes widened. He could definitely go another round. His body was already stirring at the thought.

Ahsoka smiled. "We do have all night, by my calculation. I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on you. I can see you very well from this angle." She leaned down and blew a breath across his bare chest. The single motion sent shivers up and down his spine. Yes. Definitely ready for round two.

"But, first, you need a shower. " She sniffed at him and frowned. "What did you and Cody do during your time at the RMB? Do I even want to know?"

Rex flushed with embarrassment again. "Eh… I got a bit bored. I was working out."

She poked at his muscles with appreciation. "Can't argue with the results. Always did love your physique."

He frowned with puzzlement. "I'm the same as any other clone."

She shook her head. "Nope. Looks different on you. Trust me. There's clone. And, then there's _Rex_."

He studied her, trying to decipher the puzzling statement. But, she gave him no time to work out her logic. She slid off of him and gave him a hand up.

"Come on, time to clean up," she nodded her head toward the refresher. "I've often wondered if my shower could hold two."

"You have? Why would you-"

She stopped and turned to face him, disshelved and half-naked. He'd never seen a more glorious sight. "This has been on my mind for a while." She trailed a finger down the center of his chest, stopping just short of where he most craved her touch. He shivered. "You didn't disappoint." She grinned. "Far from it. Perhaps I was lacking in imagination. Maybe I can make amends now."

Rex closed his eyes and heaved out a sigh of relief. She was pleased by what they'd done. He would endeavor to make round two equally as good. And, perhaps round three could be even better. After all, clones were known for their quick learning skills. The knot inside his chest eased even more. He was right to have come back to Coruscant. This was where he belonged.

# # #


	29. Chapter 29 Appo

**Rex II**

**Chapter 29**

Appo was back.

He'd been welcomed back more warmly by the men than he'd expected. He knew they all regarded him as a poor substitute for Rex and now that their heroic Captain was back, he didn't expect to get much respect from the Legion anymore. Not that he'd ever had the hold over the men the former Captain had. Not even close. No one could compete with a living Legend.

But, surprisingly, both Coric and Denal were waiting for him when he emerged out of bacta. They helped him shower and dress, sparing him from having to do so at the hands of the droids, since his shoulder was still out of commission. Coric conferred with the senior medic on duty, and officially took over Appo's care. In less than an hour, they were headed back over to the barracks.

The three of them walked through the streets of Coruscant, dressed identically, in their burgundy fatigues. It was very early. Not even dawn. The two senior 501st members had gotten out of bed extra early to help get him out of bacta. He wasn't sure what to make out of this show of loyalty.

A few citizens cast them confused looks at their identical appearance. Clones in armor were becoming more commonplace in the streets. But, Appo had come to the realization few Coruscanti understood there were _men_ underneath the armor. Appo wasn't sure if he welcomed the anonymity, or found it ironic, considering he was a _clone_. After all, this was the Republic they were supposedly fighting for and these citizens seemed content to be so blessedly ignorant in all but their own narrow interests. Is that what freedom was all about? The right to be selfish?

"You OK?" Coric asked, startling him.

Appo sucked in a breath. No one usually asked him this simple question. He hesitated, considering his answer. On the one hand, he was a superior to these men. Were Coric and Denal simply doing this out of a sense of duty? Or, were they actually making overtures of friendship? During their long hours together on Darkknell, he'd opened up to the commander about many issues. Ahsoka had spoken with him at length about his difficulties relating to other clones. She'd suggested trying to be more open in his dealings with the men. It seemed to work well for Rex. He didn't like being compared to the Captain, but he couldn't argue with his standing among the men.

"I… uh… was thinking…" he started, and snapped his jaw shut thinking he was sounded like an di'kut. He flushed red and noticed Denal and Coric looking at him. His instinct was to retreat into stony silence and his usual facade of being _the commander. _But, he could hear Ahsoka's light teasing voice in his mind, telling him he would never get a different result unless he tried a different approach. He took a deep breath and plunged ahead. He gestured around him with his good arm at the Coruscanti they were passing. "They look at us. But, they don't know who we are."

"So?" Denal asked, giving an unconcerned look around him as if it mattered little to him either way, "what of it?"

Appo resisted the urge to be offended by Denal's flippant response. He continued on and tried to explain himself. "They're supposed to be the ones we're fighting for, and they know nothing about us." He tried to voice what he was feeling. "They don't _care_ to know anything about us." He shrugged, and then winced as he jarred his good shoulder, putting a hand up to brace it.

Denal laughed and put a hand gently on his uninjured shoulder. "You think too hard. Be careful. You'll hurt yourself."

It was the sort of good-natured, teasing comment he'd heard the men make back and forth to each other many times as they laughed together. The sort of talk he was always excluded from... until now.

Appo smiled.

Coric and Denal talked with him constantly on the way back. Some of the news was of no consequence and mixed in with it was bits of more interest. Denal described their first meal back at the barracks in great detail. Coric told him Generals Skywalker and Kenobi were out of medical, and were expected to make an appearance later today. Everyone hoped there were be announcement about getting a new ship, or new armor. But, most of all, the men were hoping they could get some news about what was going on with Captain Rex and Commander Cody.

"What?"

Appo took in this last piece of news, and his good mood faded away. Commander Cody was not his concern. But, there was a high probability Rex might be assumed back under his command. "What happened to Rex?

Coric and Denal exchanged a look.

"He was sent to the RMB for contempt of Council," Coric finally answered.

Appo stopped in his tracks, refusing to take another step. Annoyed Coruscanti citizens walked around them, glaring at them for impeding their progress. "Explain."

"We don't know the details. He is being held until he has a hearing. But, it is by order of General Windu."

Appo tried to keep his expression even, but his thoughts were racing. _Contempt of Council? _Rex? He never could have imagined. This was likely a positive development, though. He and Rex did not exactly get along. So, maybe the problem had just taken care of itself. Coric and Denal were studying him intently. He would need to proceed very carefully to avoid losing the ground he'd made today.

"I see," he said, keeping his voice even, "ah… hopefully, the Generals will have an update for us on the situation, then." He jerked his chin in the general direction of the barracks. "Shall we proceed?"

Coric cast him a suspicious look. Denal shrugged and launched into a humorous incident involving the purple Kazzie fruit. Appo wasn't listening. He laughed a half-second too late, simply copying Denal's motions. His thoughts were consumed with the situation with Rex.

Would Rex be sent away again? He knew the commander and the Captain were close. Very close. Maybe _too_ close. But, if Rex was sent away for misconduct, then it cleared the way for him. He spent the rest of the walk thinking about the Jedi he'd shared the cell with at Darkknell.

# # #

_*** A/N: So, I am faced with a dilemna. I very much want to participate in NanoWrimo so I can finish off "Left Behind II." But, writing 1,000 words a day on a new story doesn't leave me anytime to update my three existing stories. So, either I take the entire month of November off, (like I did in August), or the updates are very short and brief, (like this one, maybe shorter.) Preferences? Oh, and if you haven't already done so, consider signing up for NanoWrimo. It is a wonderful experience and you will be thrilled with the results at the end of the month. ***_


	30. Chapter 30 Ahsoka and Rex

_A/N: Revised December 24, 2014. Many thanks to Juanita (Sue) for finding a continuity error in this chapter which conflicted with something mentioned way back in Rex I. Awesome catch. Thank you._

**Rex II**

**Chapter 30**

Rex studied Ahsoka as she slept in his arms. She was calm and peaceful, her sense of restless energy gone. One of her hands was lightly curled against the jagged scar which reminded him if it but for two inches to the left, he would have died on Salecumai. His chest was ridged with more recent scars from the fight with the Kazzie leader on Darkknell, none of which the bacta could fully erase. Ahsoka was intrigued by his scars, tracing her lips and tongue over all of them. He inhaled sharply at the memory.

"Rex?" her eyes popped open, at his slight inhale of breath.

"I'm fine," he murmured, leaning down and kissing her eyelids, "go back to sleep."

She looked up at him, a warm smile that made his insides pool. He didn't know what he'd ever done to deserve having someone look at him in _that_ way and she rolled over so she was lying fully on top of him. "I'm awake now, Rexster." She wiggled slightly and his finely-honed, battle-tuned reflexes responded _immediately_.

"Ahsoka," he groaned, and reached his hand down to guide himself. He groaned as their bodies connected and he slid inside of her warmth. "Fek," he thrust upwards. The intensity of the sensation of being with her hadn't faded, even though this was their fourth time. He angled her face toward him so he could capture her mouth in a kiss. So sweet. He didn't want it to end. This night- he wanted it to go on forever. But, eventually his body reached it's peak and they both cried out together. Ahsoka curled back up against his chest and fell back asleep. He tucked her into the crook of his shoulder, holding her protectively. She was his and he would watch over her with his dying breath.

He was exhausted, having only slept a few hours on the journey home to Corrie and then a few more (on Cody's shoulder, no less) at the prison. But, he didn't want to sleep. These hours with Ahsoka were too precious. He would not be able to get them back again if he wasted them sleeping.

Ahsoka didn't rest long before her Jedi reflexes woke her up again.

"Hey," she gazed up at him, giving him a warm sleepy smile. It took all of his self-control to not push her under him and make love to her again. Her smile grew broader. "You keep looking at me like that and we're never going to leave this room. However," she stretched, and he watched with great appreciation as she moved her limbs, "we should probably get some food." She studied him curiously. "When was the last time you ate something?"

Rex raised up an eyebrow. "Ehhhh..."

She shook her head. "If you have to think about it that long, it's not good. Let's shower, and then I'm taking you out to eat." They both rose up at the same time. Ahsoka put up a hand. "Wait, better if we shower separately, otherwise we will never leave this room. I've had too many fantasies of naked Rex in the shower."

His eyebrows shot into his hairline, but he couldn't help but be pleased at her words. He showered first and as he quickly donned his armor, he wondered how often she thought of him in such a manner.

"Your ego is going to be totally inflated after all of this, isn't it?" Ahsoka teased, coming out of the refresher wrapped only in a towel. Her skin was glistening and Rex was tempted to forget about the food. Staying here and removing the towel seemed a much better plan. "Turn around, Captain. Or, we'll truly never leave this room."

He sighed, and turned his back allowing her to get dressed. She was right. The attraction between them was too strong. He allowed her to get dressed, and they left the room a few minutes later. It was still the middle of the night, about 0230, and the hallways were deserted.

Rex would've thought Jedi were up at any time, but apparently they did actually sleep. They slipped out of the Temple without encountering anyone. Ahsoka led him out a back door he'd never used before.

"Will you get in trouble for leaving at this hour?" Rex asked, speaking in a hushed tone even though they were already on the street.

Ahsoka laughed lightly. "You think this is the first time I've snuck out in the middle of the night?"

Rex scowled, not reassured in the least. He was about to press for details, but decided it was likely better he did not know. His past was not as squeaky clean as he led the shinies to believe. He turned his thoughts to safer topics, lest Ahsoka might be reading his mind. "Where are we going?"

"Anakin doesn't sleep very much and often likes to get something to eat in the middle of the night. He's dragged me along more than once. This intel has come in handy for when Barriss and I want something to eat on our way home."

Rex frowned. "On your way home from _where_?" He couldn't resist folding his arms across his chest the way he did when disciplining a shiny.

Ahsoka laughed in such a way he knew she wasn't going to answer. "This way," Ahsoka said, tugging him through a darkened alley. Rex reached for his blaster out of habit. It wasn't there.

Fek. Ahsoka and Barriss went out in these areas alone at night?

They emerged from the darkened alley into a crowded street and Ahsoka immediately released his hand. They blended into the crowd. No one paid them any attention, and the crowds didn't seem any thinner for the fact it was the middle of the night.

"This is it," Ahsoka said. She pushed her way inside a crowded tapcaf cafe. Rex's nose was assaulted with the scent of brewing caf and _food_. His stomach clenched and he was aware of an overwhelming need to eat. It had been easy enough to ignore when there had been no food around. But, now he was surrounded by tempting smells and plates of food everywhere. Greasy topatoes mingled with fried meats, driving him crazy. He followed Ahsoka through the packed eatery until they found a space in the back of the large establishment. They'd barely sat down before a servi-droid whirred over.

"Welcome to the 11016th Level Cafe," the droid chriped cheerily, flopping down worn flimsis in front of them.

Ahsoka slid the flimsi in front of Rex. He picked up the menu and began studying it with the intensity of reviewing a new battle plan. His eyes widened at the overwhelming array of choices. He shot Ahsoka a helpless look. The only credits he had were the funds he'd earned between training shifts back on the ice planet, and he'd given all of that away to Travis. He couldn't even buy himself a cup of caf, much less provide for Ahsoka. He tossed the menu down in frustration.

"Two flaming Corrie sunrise breakfast specials," Ahsoka said, ordering for both of them, handing the flimsis back and the droid whirred away.

"Ahsoka," Rex objected. She'd ordered the most expensive items on the menu.

"Relax," she smiled, patting her belt. "Anakin gives me funds." She shrugged. "I don't even know where he gets them from and I don't ask. But, he always seems to have more than enough, and he makes sure I have everything I need. He has his quirks, a _lot_ of them, but he does care. He's got a good heart." She poked Rex playfully again. "And, I know he would approve of me buying you breakfast."

Rex didn't comment, not allowing his thoughts to dwell upon what Skywalker would do to him if he ever found out what else he and Ahsoka had been up to over the course of the evening. The droid returned with a tray laden full of beverages. An enormously oversized mug of caf appeared, along with water and three kinds of juice.

"Breakfast will be here in seven minutes or less or your meal is free," the droid said, in a cheerful, if mechanical voice, slapping down a digital chrono on the table, before disappearing with a squeak of servos.

Rex blinked, and then stared down at the beverages in front of him. He looked over at Ahsoka, and saw her already sipping at her mug. He peered carefully at her mug, and then frowned. "Since when do you drink _caf_?"

Ahsoka smirked. "I only drink tea at the Temple and around other Jedi. When I'm out with Barriss, we drink _caf_."

Rex wondered what else it was Ahsoka and Barriss did. He was tempted to ask, but resisted again. Obviously, there was an entire side to these two Padawans he didn't know. He took a cautious sip of his caf.

Gah.

Fekkin' glorious.

Ahsoka was studying him carefully waiting for his reaction.

He met her eyes and smiled, and finished draining the rest of the cup without pausing for air. The servi-droid appeared out of nowhere and refilled the cup before he'd even set it down on the chipped white table. He blinked in surprise. He'd always had to refill his own caf cup in the mess hall. He took an appreciate sniff of the steam rising off the mug before drinking the second cup, savoring each sip. The servi-droid whirled over and instantly refilled his mug again.

"Is it going to keep doing that?" he asked, as the droid disappeared away again into the busy restaurant.

Ahsoka simply laughed, and pointed to the three other glasses in front of him. "Try the juices."

Rex set down his caf mug, his hands feeling warmed even through his thick battle gloves. He already felt more energetic thanks to the buzz of the caf. He studied the juices carefully, giving each one a cautious sniff. They were all brightly colored and the sweet scents tickled his nose.

_Travis would love these._

The thought crept out of nowhere, and he quickly buried it before Ahsoka picked up on it. He couldn't afford to be thinking about Ando. He picked up the nearest glass of juice and drained it in one gulp.

"Almakian apple juice," Rex's eye pinched at the slightly tart taste.

"Not a hit, huh? Try this one," Ahsoka handed him a juice at least a dozen shades brighter in hue than the color of the 212th Attack Battalion.

"Maroj melon," Ahsoka explained.

He nodded appreciatively. "Better than the Almakian."

She handed him the next glass. "This one is my personal favorite. Meiloorun."

Rex gave it a cautious sip. "It's good. Very sweet. Almost... bubbly?"

She beamed at him. "Yes! It's a process of the fermentation." She gestured to the serving droid, and put in an order for more drinks.

The eager servi-droid returned profferring two more glasses.

"Try this one," Ahsoka said, handing him another glass and taking one up herself.

"Namana," she said, clinking their glass together and winking, "it is considered a drink for lovers. Anakin talks about it." She winked again. "Can never figure out why he drinks it, though."

"Ah," he coughed, and covered it up by sipping the juice.

"Please make room for your food," the droid said, busily clearing away empty glasses and setting down a dizzifying array of plates in front of them. He wasn't sure where to start. There was a plate overloaded with fried werris eggs, thickly cut slices of nuna bacon, a heaping bowl of sweetened anoat oats generously topped with berries, a platter of cream chipped Bantha beef on Mustafarian toast and-

Rex halted mid-bite and looked up at Ahsoka, who was sipping her caf and watching him with amusement. "You haven't touched your food," he said.

She pushed her collection of plates toward him, keeping only the bowl of oats for herself. "For you."

He didn't object, and gave her a nod of gratitude. Of course. He'd never seen Ahsoka eat anything but salads, and non-meat choices in the mess hall. He always wondered how she had so much energy without tucking into a good nerf steak now and again. She ordered most of this food for him. She dipped a spoon into her oats, and delicately tasted a berry. Rex watched her eat for a moment, and tried not to think of where her lips had been just a few hours before. Gah. Was it going to be strange between them from now on?

"No, it isn't," Ahsoka said, not looking up, swallowing the berry and dipping into her cereal again. "You should try the oats. They're much better than in the mess."

Rex snorted. "Everything tastes better here than in the mess."

"That's Coruscanti food for you. I should take you out more often," Ahsoka teased, and then stopped. They looked at each other awkwardly, and there was a sad, silent pause. Rex stopped eating. They were caught in limbo at the moment, and this moment wasn't going to last. They both knew it. Rex would be called before the Council, and either he went back to being a Captain, or things went badly. But either way, they didn't get to have meals together like normal Coruscanti. Rex's wide-eyed wonder at every bite was testament to the bubble they were currently in.

Rex turned his attention back to his food, but his enthusiasm had dampened. The two ate silently, an awkward silence ensuing between them.

"Where were you for all that time, Rex?"

Rex looked up, startled. He finished chewing slowly, and took a long dreg from his caf cup. The ever enthusiastic servi-droid reappeared before he'd even set the cup down. He sighed, and blew across the steaming cup of fresh caf, the wisps trailing along his blonde hair.

He stared down into his caf cup. Andoan caf was awful, even though they tolerated the stuff because it was all they had to drink with the shortages on the ice planet. His mind drifted over to Travis, Catcher, Torch and the others and wondered if now that they had the ships if they would be venturing out to get badly needed supplies for Ando. It would be a great risk for the Legion-

"Rex?" He looked up and blinked. Ahsoka was gazing at him with concern. "You seemed like you were half a galaxy away."

He shook his head and returned his attention to his caf, blowing the steam away again. Fek. He couldn't seem to stop thinking about Travis and the others.

"You're not going to answer, are you?" Ahsoka said, although it was more of a statement than a question.

Rex paused, thinking carefully. He loved Ahsoka. He trusted her as much as he did his closest brothers. One of her hands was resting in her lap, and he gripped her hand in his, careful to shield the motion with his armored thigh. "You saw them Ahsoka, almost a hundred men. I was with them. That's all I can you. I can't tell you anymore about any of them."

"You're protecting them," she said, studying him carefully.

He nodded, releasing a deep breath.

She squeezed his hand in support. "Alright. That sounds like you. Fair enough. I won't ask again. Now, finish eating." She glanced out the windows. "We have another hour until dawn. We can take a walk and then stop by the barracks and do a surprise sunrise inspection on the men. Nothing better." She gave him a wink and a grin.

He'd always assumed it was accidental timing on her part when she came by first thing in the morning and caught the men half-dressed. He stared at her perplexed.

"Life in the Temple is very dull at times, Rex," Ahsoka said, catching his look. Rex didn't doubt Temple life lacked its' appeal, but he failed to see what could be so fascinating about clones coming out of the refresher dripping wet and wearing nothing but a towel, (or usually less in the case of Fives and Hardcase.)

"Ahsoka," he protested, seeking to set an end to this practice. He'd had enough of chasing Fives' naked backside away-

A bleep from Ahsoka's comlink interrupted what promised to be a heated argument about naked Fives.

"This is Ahsoka," she said into her comm and then listened to the reply carefully for a few minutes, a look of concentration on her face. "Alright, we'll be there." She turned to Rex. "You've got a date with the Council."

# # #

E_A/N: I'm back! Thank you all for your patience while I completed NanoWrimo. My month of writing was a big success and I completed my goal hitting 50,000 words on Saturday night. I'm excited to bring you "Left Behind II" and will launch the first part shortly. Make sure you are subscribed to me as an author if you want to see my other stories when they launch. In order to accommodate the new material that is coming out, I will be changing my update schedule. Instead of a three day a week Rex/Clone/Ando schedule, I will be switching to a new format of launching "new LLTC content" every three or four days. So, if you are subscribed to me as an author, you will be assured of a steady stream of new content. You will be receiving updates of the new story, as well as the other three stories, (Rex, Clone and Ando, and I may also finally find a place to slip in my much talked about Boba Fett story.) Stay tuned. There is a great deal of exciting content coming up in 2015. As always, if you have specific ideas or suggestions for the stories, I love hearing your thoughts. And, with the amount of clone OCs popping in and out of my stories, I am always looking for original clone names. (In order to be used, they need to sound like the naming scheme used on the show, so get creative.)_


	31. Chapter 31 Slave of the Republic

_A/N: Revised December 24, 2014. A long chapter. Rex/Ahsoka/Appo. Appo section revised slightly after a reader pointed out a conflicting statement. Ahsoka said here to Appo she hadn't seen him since Darkknell, when in fact she had briefly encountered him on the medbay on the ship. Text has been revised accordingly._

**Rex II**

**Chapter 31**

They finished their meal in silence, Rex's thoughts on his upcoming meeting with the Council. He stared down into the black dregs of his mug, letting the sounds of the cafe carry on around him. What if he didn't get his commission back? Would he be sent back to Kamino? He sensed Ahsoka's watchful eye on him, and he looked up and met her concerned blue gaze.

"You're worried."

"Yes," he freely admitted.

She idly pushed the last bits of oatmeal about her bowl with her spoon. It was odd to linger over a meal. There were always endless trainings and drills and never enough time to get everything done. Now, he was caught in this odd little bubble of having time on his hands as he waited for the Council to decide his fate. It went against his nature to be idle. Ahsoka lifted one finger and started moving oatmeal bits about with touching them, making little shapes. Rex wondered if she even realized she was using her powers, at times, since she wielded them so effortlessly. He studied her for a moment. She was so _different_ from him. He set down his caf cup and sighed. It was impossible. All of it. Everything.

"Rex," Ahsoka said, pointing inside her bowl, she'd arranged the material into perfect concentric circles, one nesting inside of another. "This is you. And, everything you touch. It is like a raindrop hitting the surface of a pond. When the raindrop touches the surface, its impact upon the surface ripples out in the form of concentric rings. All of our actions are interrelated."

Rex studied the bowl carefully, thinking over her words. "Layers within layers." He shook his head, and then scowled. "Jedi logic."

"_Rex_, look at me." Her blue eyes looked into his, deep and intense, and it reminded him of the way she'd been there for him in the cave when he'd been so badly injured and at his most vulnerable. "You need to trust in the Force."

"Ahsoka, the Force doesn't care about guys like me, it never has." He picked up his cup again, but then set it down again. Gah. He didn't want any more caf. Fek.

"Rex."

"What?!" his voice ground out louder and harsher than he'd intended.

_Rex_.

And, this time Ahsoka spoke to him in his mind. He started. In a way, the touch was more intimate than anything else they'd done that night. He gasped. The feeling was still terrifyingly unfamiliar and yet he welcomed it at the same time.

_The Force speaks to all of us, Rex. _

He hesitated, unsure what to do. Force touches against his mind still repulsed him on some level, bringing back unwelcome memories of Ventress strangling him as she tried to violently mentally rape the location of Skywalker out of him. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head.

_Don't be afraid. The Force has higher plans for you._

Rex growled in frustration at all of the emotions coursing through him. _Too much._

He blew out a long breath, still feeling overwhelmed. Too many changes. At one time, he was so sure of who he was and what he stood for and what he believed in. Now he was getting his shebs locked up for insubordination after arguing over his missing whereabouts and accusations of lying, (and, truth be told, he was lying, to a Jedi Grand Master, no less.)

_Fek. Fek. Fek._

_Too much._

Ahsoka reached under the table, and ran her thumb gently over the back of his hand. He sucked in his breath.

Any touch from Ahsoka went straight to his core. He clenched his hand into a fist and drew back, trying not to overreact to the slight touch. This was not the time or the place. Ahsoka withdrew her hand, but still gave him a _look._

_Fek. Shab. This was not good. One look and he was totally done in._

"You look terrible," Ahsoka said. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

"What?"

Ahsoka flagged down the serving bot to get them more caf. She swapped out his half-filled mug for a fresh cup. "Drink this. You look like you could use it."

Rex tossed it down, ignoring how it was, since he'd scalded his innards on caf numerous times. "No, I didn't sleep," he admitted. "We were... eh..." he flushed, and stared down into his mug, the current line of conversation not helping the tension in his cod. "I was too wired to sleep after we..."

"Understood," Ahsoka said, sparing him from anymore of the awkward conversation. She brushed a hand across his under the table again.

Rex wished she would stop touching him, and particularly stop touching him anywhere that ventured close to parts of him that ached for more of her touch. His entire body was already overwraught with tension and ready for another round.

"Ready to go?" Ahsoka said, tugging a small pouch of creds off her belt pouch.

"Yes," Rex said, a little too loudly. Gah. He was insane to have ever slept with Ahsoka. She waved over the serving droid and settled their bill.

"Put out your hand," Ahsoka commanded, removing a generous handful of credits from the pouch and holding them out to him.

"Ahsoka," Rex objected.

"As I said, I don't know where Anakin gets his funds, but there always seems to be more than enough. I don't have much use for them other than my occassional forays with Barriss."

"You could try buying more clothes," Rex muttered under his breath, keeping his hands closed in tight fights.

"What?" Ahsoka's eyes widened, and she glanced down at her bare midriff Jedi outift before looking up at Rex.

"Sorry," he shook his head, scrubbing at his tired eyes, "I meant to say that in my head."

To his surprise, Ahsoka barked with laughter rather than taking offense. She looked down again critically. "Maybe it is time for a change." She pried open his fist, and pressed the credits into his palms. "But, I need you to hold onto these."

He looked down at the creds in his hands. "Ahsoka, you don't have to do this."

"For emergencies, Rex. You don't know what the future could hold."

Rex looked down at the generous pile of credits, more than he'd ever held before. The future. It was true. Who could have predicted the events of the past few months? He nodded and closed his hand around the credits. He didn't have his belt pouch. He'd been stripped of his kit. He slipped the funds into the hidden interior pocket of his bodysuit where he stashed an extra bacta patch, a mini rations bar, and a blade so small and slight it was undetectable during body searches. The pocket felt bulky now with the credits stuffed into it, but it was the only place he could stow something now until his belt was returned. Fek. He missed his full kit.

Ahsoka glanced out the window. "We best hurry. If we want to perform a a_ sunrise_ inspection, we'd best go now."

Rex gripped Ahsoka's wrist to check her chrono. The men would be in the showers at this time. Indeed Rex was sure he heard Ahsoka mutter something under her breath as she stood up about naked Fives. He let the comment go. His body proud ARC was currently over at ArmyMed with Echo. They wound their way out of the tapcaf and into the streets again.

Ahsoka hesitated, unsure which way to go. "Help me out. I haven't been to the new barracks."

Rex knew the streets of Coruscant well having worked on numerous ops with Fox and the Guard. Skywalker also dragged him out sometimes to accompany him on his forays around the city. He gripped Ahsoka's wrist to check the chrono again, calculating how long the men would need to finish their showers and he added in plenty of extra time to ensure all of them were dressed, even allowing extra time considering many were still injured and exhausted after their long imprisonment. He took the _long_ way to the new barracks, winding through the streets of Coruscant.

He was silent as they walked along. They were passing through a street close to the university sector, so they had to dodge students rushing to classes.

"Still worried about the Council?" Ahsoka asked, pulling Rex out of the way in time to avoid a teenage Arkanian on a hoverscooter. The youth nearly decapitated Rex with the bottom of their scooter. Ahsoka shoved Rex down, and the scooter scraped along his backplate.

The two seasoned military officers popped back up in smooth one indicative of those who worked side-by-side seamlessly. They both stared after the student. The Arkanian youth was completely distracted; chatting on their comlink, studying their datapad, and eating a sugared twist.

"Watch it!" Rex bellowed.

The youth spun around and gave Rex a universal finger gesture of disrespect.

Rex automatically reached for his twin handled blasters, but realized with disappointment he was unarmed.

"Let it go," Ahsoka pressed a hand to his arm.

Rex scowled fiercely, staring after the ill-mannered, undisciplined Coruscanti civilian. Seconds later, the youth barreled out of control, tumbling headlong into the large fountain in the middle of the university plaza.

"How did you know?" Rex asked. "Wait— did you do that?"

"The Force works in mysterious ways," Ahsoka said, not elaborating anymore and neither confirming nor denying any involvement. She gripped his hand, tugging him along. "We better go, though." She released his hand quickly before it was noticed and they continued on their way. All attention in the plaza was drawn to the sputtering shouting youth at the fountain and the still activated hoverspeeder spewing water everywhere.

Rex snorted as they hurried on. "After everything, I almost get taken out by a _civvie _who can't fekkin' drive."

Ahsoka shook her head. "Whenever I have to spend time on Coruscant, sometimes I think we're safer out in the 'Rim."

Rex pondered those words as they continued on toward the barracks. "That's it," Rex said, pointing to it from a block away. The new barracks were massive, capable of holding two entire Legions. It was part of a series of identical new buildings, all part of a greatly expanded Republic "peace keeping force" in Coruscant. "Second building from the end."

Ahsoka nodded. "I want to stop in here." She pointed to a nearby bakery, and dug out her pouch of creds. "Pack it all up," she said to the affable Chiss behind the counter. She handed Rex three large plasti-sacks of baked goods, and carried the same amount herself.

It was strange to arrive back at the barracks. It looked so clean and perfect and _new _and exactly as had when he'd left for his meeting with the Council.

"Captain! Commander!" Trapper called from his post on guard duty in front of the barracks, looking strangely out of place without armor and weapons. Rex would have to talk to the Admiral and find out the status of their kit requisition for the Legions.

"Barlex," Rex said, glancing over at the second clone on duty. "How are you doing?" The clone had been held in the labs on Darkknell and while not as bad off as Appo, he'd still needed treatment from Coric after his time with the Kaz'harians.

"On the mend, sir, thank you," he straightened his spine proudly. "I'm well enough to be back on guard duty. Glad to be back at work, actually."

"If you're here," Trapper ventured, "does that mean Cody is on his way, too?" He looked over Rex's shoulder as if his commander, and friend, were going to appear any minute.

Rex sighed regretfully, shaking his head. "Sorry Trapper. Cody is still over at the RMB."

Both troopers' faces fell with disappointment.

"Understood," Trapper said, but there was an undercurrent of bitterness in his tone. An awkward silence ensured.

"We are here for morning inspection," Ahsoka smoothly cut in, "we brought treats." She held up the bag and waved it in front of the two troopers.

"What do you have there?" Trapper asked, leaning in curiously.

Ahsoka's face broke out into a smile and she pulled out a sweetened twist from the top of the bag. "Thank you for your service, trooper. I appreciate everything you do. You're amazing. All of you."

Barlex looked at Ahsoka and Rex with hopeful anticipation. Rex reached into the bag and presented the trooper with a jelly filled pastry.

"Thank you, sir!"

Rex beamed. He'd never had anything to give the men other than words of praise and the occasional promotion. Most often, he was doling out discipline and bad news. It was a strange sensation to be able to give a _gift_.

They proceeded into the barracks. Word spread like the volcanic fires on Mustafar that the Captain and Commander were on-site and had brought sacks of sugared treats. He could only hope for a response time such as this during his emergency drills. He was immediately thronged by troopers.

"Captain!"

"Commander!"

They were ushered in the rec room and someone turned on music. Much too loud.

Rex and Ahsoka handed out treats as fast as they could to the throngs around them. Troopers whooped with joy, clapping Rex on the back and welcoming him back. Ahsoka gave up on her: "Thank you for your service, trooper" speech since no one could hear her over the blaring music.

In equally impressive response time, the troopers hastily erected a sign: "Welcome back, Captain!" and pasted it up on one wall. Rex didn't want to know where the material for the sign had come from, but it looked suspiciously like one of the large required "Emergency Evac" instruction signs had been ripped off the wall and flipped around and tacked up with a generous supply of Coric's Medi-Tape.

"Captain!"

"Admiral Yularen," Rex greeted, pressing a sugared twist into the Admiral's hands. He peered down into his bag. It was his last bag and nearly empty. He handed the sack to Chopper to finish distributing.

"Care to get a cup of caf, Admiral?" Rex said.

"Rumor has it there might be something stronger floating around," the Admiral admitted, "but, officially, yes, we are all drinking _caf_."

"Lead the way, Admiral," Rex made a gracious sweep of his hand. "_Caf_ sounds good."

Hardcase pressed two cups of homebrewed 'caf' into their hands. They all drank it out of the durasteel mugs they used for their caf. It was horrible stuff and burned Rex's gut, but, there was a comfort in sharing a drink with the Admiral. As soon as he drained his cup, someone tugged it out of his hand, and replaced it with another full mug of the homebrew.

The Admiral was asking him about Cody, and giving him an update on everything that had occurred in the barracks since he left. Rex could barely hear between all the shouted conversations of the men around him and the blaring music. But, he leaned in, his head close to the Admiral, doing his best to follow the conversation.

In the back of the room, Denal and Coric walked in with Appo.

The three troopers stopped and stared around in confusion. The "Welcome Back Captain!" sign was easily visible from across the room.

"What is going on here?" Coric asked, grabbing the nearest trooper by the scruff of his fatigues. He studied him a moment before identifying him. "Ringo."

"Party for the Captain," Ringo said, "him and the Commander stopped by for a surprise inspection and brought us treats! Amazing, huh? The Captain is the best! Three cheers for the Captain!" He shouted out, and slipped free from Coric's grasp and disappeared into the crowd again, without even noticing or acknowledging Appo.

Appo, Denal and Coric stood there another moment, feeling the strain of being out of place having walked in late.

"I suppose you want to join in," Appo said, resigned.

"Eh, actually…"

"Coric! Denal!" several troopers waved toward them, glancing briefly over at Appo but not making any other acknowledgement of the 501st commander.

"Go on," Appo said, with a resigned sigh.

"Join us," Coric said, not moving yet.

Appo shook his head. He'd never been well-liked by the others. Nothing had changed. "I'll go and…" Do what? He wasn't officially back on-duty yet. "... take a walk."

Coric scowled. "You sure?"

Appo wavered. Coric was making an effort. He shook his head, the old part of him which usually felt the sting of rejection refusing to even try. He spun around to leave.

"Appo!" an unmistakable female voice cried out, cutting across the music. Her words caught the attention of the others and heads turned in the room. He spun around to see Ahsoka pushing her way through the crowded recroom headed toward him. Her face was filled with delight. She made it to his side, and threw her arms around him hugging him warmly. He flushed with embarassment at the public display of affection, but after a moment wrapped his arms around her to return the gesture. She held on for what seemed like an unseemly long time, but part of him was pleased at the attention. She released him and immediately followed it by leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss him enthusiastically on the cheek. "I'm so happy to see you!" she bubbled out, and then her hands fluttered gently over the sling on his arm. "Did you just get released from ArmyMed? Are you OK?" She fired off questions so rapidly, he didn't have a chance to formulate a reply. She tugged him along through the crowded room and troopers immediately parted in their wake. They'd ignored him, but they all seemed to notice _her_. She dragged him along toward one of the recroom couches. "Make room, please," she said, pushing at a few of the troopers sprawling on the couches. Many pairs of clone eyes were watching them as they settled down on the small couch. Her hands fluttered over his bound and injured arm again.

"You're not in any pain, are you?"

Appo shook his head, his mouth suddenly dry at her near presence. He felt the weight of an intense stare upon him and look across the room to meet the intense stare of Rex. The two locked eyes for a long moment before the 501st Captain looked away and resumed his conversation with Coric. But, the intense dark look he gave Appo was clearly a warning.

Ahsoka tugged on Appo's hand to get his attention. "It's been a while since we've spoken. What happened after we got separated?"

Appo sucked in a long breath. He shook his head. "My story is not glorious like that of your Captain," he could not help the bitterness that crept into his tone. He didn't rescue thousands of clones. He was held in a lab, humiliated and then dragged into a closet, beaten, stripped and almost raped. If Commander Cody hadn't rescued him, he would have been ravaged from the inside out until he was dead.

Ahsoka studied him, concern marring her features. "My apologies. This is the wrong place for us to talk. Let's find someplace quieter." She gripped his hand, tugging him up off the couch and winding him through the packed room. As soon as they made it through the human gauntlet, she released his hand. But, he immediately missed her touch. "We can go talk in the mess hall," Ahsoka said, once they were in the hallway. The volume was much lower out here and they could already talk more easily.

Rex watched them leave, staring at Ahsoka gripping Appo's hand. He shoved his emptied cup at the nearest trooper walking by, and clenched both fists by his sides, eyes narrowed and focused on his target. Coric slipped over to his side. "I know that look, Rex. Nothing good becomes of it." It took a long beat before Coric's words registered with Rex. He finally focused on the medic next to him.

He scrubbed at his face, forcing himself to look away from where Ahsoka had left. "Fek. Sorry, Coric."

Coric looked in the direction of Rex's gaze.

"Is it Appo?"

Rex startled. Something about Coric's remark struck too close to home. The 501st Captain blew out a breath, trying to defer the topic. "It's... "

_Fek. Yes. I don't know why, but I can't stand that clone, and he hasn't actually done anything to warrant my abhorrent dislike of him._

He shook his head. "Can we change the topic?"

"Heard about that business with the Council," Coric said. "Is that resolved?"

Rex grimaced. "No. I have to a hearing this afternoon at 4 PM. Until then, I need to be under the direct supervision of either General Skywalker or Commander Tano at all times."

Coric snorted. "Except now."

Rex shrugged. "I'm actually supposed to be under _Skywalker's_ supervision, but he passed me off to his padawan. The Jedi seem to be a bit loose on the rules."

"That might work to your advantage."

Rex pondered this for a moment, slowly sipping the rest of his caf, watching his men enjoy themselves at the impromptu party. "Have you heard from Kix?" Rex asked.

"Yes, he's making some progress with Echo, he believes, but no major breakthrough. I'd like to go join him over there, help with the research."

"Let's head over there," Rex said.

"Now?" Coric asked.

Rex shrugged. "My Jedi supervision has left. I'll tell the Admiral you're with me." He slipped across the room, and returned a moment later. "Alright, we're set." They headed out into the streets of Coruscant. Rex knew that technically he was supposed to be with Ahsoka right now. No, technically he was supposed to be with Skywalker. But, technically he was tired of following the rules. And, as he walked the streets toward ArmyMed with Coric he felt different.

He felt free.

It was a rare feeling. He couldn't even remember feeling it on Ando since he'd been so consumed with worry about the 501st, Ahsoka and taking care of the hundred men under his direct command on the icy planet.

But, for now, he let his mind draw blank and simply enjoyed the warmth of the morning and having a friend by his side. They walked on in silence, each alone with their thoughts. Coric was always good that way, he wasn't an overly chatty trooper, needing to always fill the empty spaces with words. He was simply good company.

And, Rex knew then, as he walked beside his brother and tasted freedom - false as it may be in that moment - that he would not be content as a slave of the Republic.


	32. Chapter 32 Friends and Consequences

**Rex II**

**Chapter 32**

Rex enjoyed the walk over to ArmyMed, even if the looming medical center lingered with bad memories. The sun was warm on the back of his neck and the simple act of walking beside his vod, with no one to bother them or give them orders, held definite appeal. He'd learned over the past few months to make the most of each moment. Rex didn't say much and let Coric do all the talking. The medic caught him up on everything that had gone on in the barracks while he'd been in the RMB. It was the usual sort of thing, which was reassuring, because he was worried that somehow the Kazzies might have changed his men. But, the five oh first were behaving_ exactly_ as they always did when they had too much time on their hands. Di'kute. Admiral Yularen was finding other ways to keep the men busy already with calisthenics, and chores around the barracks.

"They _need_ to be back in training," Coric said.

Rex nodded. He and Cody had been discussing the retraining of their Legions during their long hours of confinement at the RMB. It was an efficient use of their time and provided a more optimistic outlook for both of them. "Has the Admiral raised the issue of retraining?"

Coric nodded. "He doesn't want to begin any training until you are reinstated. He says you are the best one to get the 501st back to fighting form."

"What about Appo?" Rex asked the obvious question. "He's the commander now." Even saying the words burned painfully in his gut.

Coric glanced over at him as if checking for a medical reaction. "Not enough practical field experience."

Rex wanted to gloat and feel victory over Appo, but some part of him knew Ahsoka was right. He needed to learn to work with him. The 501st had been lacking in command structure for some time and all the GAR had done was correct an oversight. Without a formal commander, he'd been reporting into Cody. It had worked well enough since the two Legions were so often teamed up together.

But, now the GAR had assigned the 501st had a commander. Inexplicably, it was Appo. But, Rex had often worked with officers who rubbed him the wrong way. Appo would be no different.

Rex's jaw worked. He needed to get through this meeting with the Council. His Legion needed him and was depending on him. The Admiral and every one of those troopers was expecting him to return. What would become of them if he didn't? Who would get them back into battle ready form? _Appo_?

"We're here," Coric announced, pulling Rex from his thoughts. They were standing in front of the main entrance to ArmyMed. He'd never entered the facility this way, since he'd been medevaced in through the roof. He normally didn't have the luxury of time to visit the men, and he'd received no visitors himself. His current noncommisioned status did offer some advantages, although it would make getting into the facility a challenge. Coric looked through the plexi-glass doors to the security desk where two soft uniformed troopers were checking IDs. Two armored clones stood to either side of them. "I'm not wearing my kit, and you're missing the critical parts of yours. Ideas?"

The armored clones eyed them through the glass, eyes narrowing, as they hesitated staring inside the facility. Rex gripped Coric and and started walking briskly away. "We find another way in."

A group of servi-droids glinted in the bright sunlight as they offloaded an enormous quantity of food from a hoversleigh. Rex shoved one of the tinnies to the side, appropriated the food crate, and joined in the steady line of servant drones endlessly loading supplies through a side entrance. Coric immediately followed his example behind him. They slipped into the massive kitchen and dumped the crates off to the side.

"Now what, how do we ever find Fives, Echo and Kix in this enormous facility?" Coric said, cautiously winding his way out from behind a R8 droid to peer out into the cafeteria. "Without proper comms and authorization, it could take hours-"

"I'm telling you, Fives," a chipper voice called out from a few meters to their right, "we're onto a big breakthrough. I can feel it."

"You said that _yesterday_, shinie," said the familiar voice of the 501st ARC, with his typical inflection of sarcasm.

"Be patient. It will take time," came the unmistakable gentle counsel of Kix.

Rex twisted around behind Coric and pulled food off a shelf. "Take this and follow me." He pushed out the kitchen doors and headed straight to the table, followed by the medic. "Excuse me, did you troopers order a platter of Corellian nerf sausages? Coric, what did you bring for these fine examples of GAR genetics?"

"Eh," Coric stared down at the plate in his hands trying to identify it, his face scrunching up in puzzlement. He dipped a finger in, and then his face lit up in pleasure. "Ah! Carbosyrup aircake."

The three troopers looked up startled. "Rex?" Fives said astonished. "Coric, give over the cakes." He took possession of the sweets.

"Make room, vod," Rex said, sliding in beside Fives, their pauldroned shoulders bumping up beside each other. Kix slid over, and Coric joined him on the other side, making a three across of medics on the bench including Sly. Rex looked over at Sly curiously. "I don't know you. I'm-"

"Everyone knows you, sir. Captain Rex of the 501st Legion." Sly extended an eager hand. "Sly. Brilliant genius medic stuck here on fekkin' Corrie. Very pleased to meet you, sir."

"The shinie has a bit of an ego," Fives pointed out, reaching over and smacking him upside the head, "but you'll get used to him." There was genuine affection in his voice. "What are you doing here?" Fives asked. "Last I heard, you were locked up at the RMB for assaulting a Jedi or something." The ARC sounded impressed. Coric snorted. Kix gave Rex a mildly chastising look.

Sly looked confused in the way only shinies could. "You hit a Jedi?" his jaw dropped, "we can do that?"

Fives pushed Sly's jaw shut with one black gloved finger. "No, _you_ can't, shinie. You'll have to wait until you get your big boy trooper pants like the rest of us." His voice was filled with the smug arrogance that only Fives could convey.

Coric sputtered around a mouthful of aircake. "_Fives,_" his voice was torn between laughing and sounding mildly chastising to the ARC.

Rex shook his head. "Not sure it's that simple, Fives. I have a formal hearing with the Council today to review the matter at 1600, and find out about being reinstated."

Fives nodded thoughtfully, stroking his goatee. "I see." He tapped a finger against the tabletop and then checked his chrono. "Until then you are free?"

Rex smiled. Fives always did get him so well. It was the reason he liked working with him. "Yes."

Fives grinned. "Excellent. We still have a lot to catch up on, then. Have you eaten?" He glanced around at the generous amount of food on the table.

Rex had eaten a substantial meal at the tapcaf, but his metabolism was already burning through it. "I could eat."

"Shinie, the captain and Coric could use caf."

Rex was going to object. It was against his nature to make others do things for him. "It would be an honor, sir," Sly said, hurrying off.

"Shinies," Fives said with a happy shrug.

Rex pointed a warning finger toward Fives. "Watch it. Or, you'll be training the next batch of them that comes through."

Fives shrugged as if not truly bothered by the threat. He pushed a plate of generously buttered flatbread toward Rex. "The food here isn't half bad."

"I don't remember that from my last time here," Rex conceded. Kix, Coric and Fives all looked at him curiously.

"What was it like, then, Captain?" Kix asked cautiously. "You've never spoken of it to any of us."

Rex sighed, biting into the flatbread. Sly returned with the caf. He nodded with thanks to the young medic and took a sip. He thought carefully. "At first, I was still hopeful I might make it out. But, none of the treatments worked. There was a ticking chrono and it was working against me. I didn't heal quickly enough, so I was… sent away. There were a lot of others like me."

"You were sent for reconditioning, right?" Sly blurted out, staring at Rex with wide eyes. "What's that like?"

"_Shinie,_" Fives growled.

Rex ran an agitated hand through his hair. He didn't want to talk about this. Fives, Kix and Coric were all regarding him so intently wanting answers. "It's... complicated." The others waited for him to go on. He took a sip of his caf, his hand shaking as he did so, part of the beverage sloshed over the side of the cup. Rex set the cup down so hard more of the dark liquid spilled onto the molded plasti-table. "Complicated... and _classified. _Don't ask me again." He pushed away the caf and dropped the flatbread back onto the plate, his appetite gone. "Give me an update on Echo." His crisp command tone made it clear the previous discussion was over.

Kix stepped in. "We've isolated the Kaz'harian bacterium, and by understanding the specific bacterial metabolism of it, and it is _unique, _we've been able to bioengineer the production of therapeutic proteins, such as insulin, growth factors, and synthesized anti-bodies. It is reacting to our clone genetics in a way we hadn't anticipated. We realized it didn't respond to traditional bacta treatments because the Kazzie bacteria has unique qualities which allow it to survive. It changed its' permeability on the cell membranes so the bacta could not diffuse through properly."

"Echo has shown mild improvement already, but we're stuck because the Kazzie bacteria continues to adapt," Sly said, the young medic's voice showing his frustration. He pulled out his datapad off his belt and slid it in the center of the table. Rex glanced down at it, not understanding the complex charts, but Coric immediately seized the pad.

The senior 501st medic studied the pad for several long moments, his face a mask of concentration. He flashed through the data one screen after another, his eyes flickering through the data. Rex could see the moment Coric seized onto an idea. It was the rare spark of inspiration and intuition common to all Jangos. "Have you tried encoding the cell wall points here and here?" Coric said, stabbing a finger onto the pad and pointing. The other two medics leaned in, all their shoulders hunched in as they studied the data. The three of them erupted into a discussion of medical babble so rapid that Rex couldn't even follow it. He gave up and returned his attention to his half spilled caf.

Fives pushed the flatbreads toward him again. "Fekkin' genius move bringing Coric over here."

The three medics halted their conversation and all rose at once.

"Captain," Kix said, "can Coric accompany us to the lab to-"

"Go," Rex said waving around a mouthful of flatbread, not bothering to point out he didn't have actual authority over any of them. The medics disappeared quickly still engrossed in a conversation Rex couldn't even fathom following, but he hoped would make all the difference for Echo. He pulled the aircakes toward him and dug in. "For the record, I didn't hit the Jedi."

"Which one was it anyway?" Fives asked curiously, spearing a nerf sausage.

"Windu," Rex said, finishing off his caf and wishing he had more. Maybe shinies did have their uses. He looked around trying to figure out where to get a refill.

The ARC doubled over laughing. "You took on the Head of the Council?"

Rex socked Fives hard in the shoulder pauldron. "Keep your voice down, will you? I'm not even supposed to be here," he hissed.

Fives regarded him curiously. "Yes, about that, where_ are_ you supposed to be?"

"Eh, long story," Rex didn't want to get into it. Fives could read him too well, and if he knew Ahsoka had been his assigned 'guardian' overnight he would immediately make inferences which in this case were accurate. He abandoned the idea of getting more caf. He'd already had way too much, even by trooper standards. "Let's go visit Echo."

# # #

Somehow everything about the medical center was different now that he was no longer confined here as a patient. Granted, the mutely colored walls were the same and antiseptic smell. But, freely walking the corridors beside Fives, he wasn't plagued with the overwhelming sense of helplessness and depression from his medical stay.

"Hello, Fives," said an attractive female staff member as they wound their way through the corridors.

"Who's that?" Rex asked.

The ARC shrugged. "Eh, just making a few connections here."

"Hi, Fives," gushed a long legged Twi'lek pushing a tray of blood samples in a rainbow of colors.

"Another connection?" Rex asked with a raised eyebrow.

"One never knows when inside contacts could prove _critical _in an op."

"Hi, Fives," two Zeltrons chimed in unison as they rounded a corner.

"Just how many of these contacts have you made?" Rex asked curiously.

"I only ever socialize when Sly or Kix is with Echo and we haven't been here that long. So, not more than a half dozen, I should think. My main focus has been on Echo."

"Of course. As always, you set a standard for the rest of us to follow."

Fives bowed his head slightly. "Thank you," Fives said, sounding ever bit sincere. They turned down a corridor with a markedly different appearance from the others. "This is it. The showpiece wing." At Rex's confused look, the ARC explained. "The shinie knows his way around here. He got Echo placed in a private room and found space for us, as well. It's all the way at the end of the corridor." He led the way.

"Score one for the shinie."

"He's not so bad," Fives admitted, "but, don't tell him I said it."

"You always did have a soft spot for the shinies."

"It's because I remember a time when you gave me and Echo the benefit of the doubt."

"You earned everything that came your way."

"Thank you. That means a lot coming from you."

"You have a lot of talent."

Fives flashed a smile at a passing female medtech. "So they keep telling me."

Rex snorted. "Do me a favor and leave all of this off the official report."

"I always do."

Rex wanted to admonish the ARC, but found himself laughing instead. A passing doctor leading a small group of politicians on tour cast a sharp look toward the pauldroned 501st troopers.

Fives gave them a sharp salute. He halted outside the last room at the end of the corridor. "Echo might not be awake. He comes and goes."

"Understood."

They entered the room together. Echo was lying on a bed in the center of the room with his eyes closed. His coloring was better now than when Rex had last seen him aboard the Kaz'harian ship. Fives gestured to a chair set up near the bed, and Rex slid into it.

"Hey Echo, it's me, Rex."

"Captain?" Echo's eyes opened immediately and he focused on Rex.

"He's like a kriffin' holostar these days," Fives muttered under his breath.

"Heard that," Rex tossed back over his shoulder, "you're a fine one to talk."

Echo glanced back and forth between them, a furrow crossing his brow. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Rex soothed, "everything's good."

Echo quirked up an eyebrow and looked over at his vod. "Again, Fives?"

Fives shrugged. "I'm just doing some recon, you know-"

"I know all about your _recon_. I'm sure you'll tell me all about it in great detail," he made a gesture to his brother that said to give him some space, "I want to visit with the Captain."

Fives nodded. "Fine. I'll leave you to it. There's some matters needing my attention anyway." He slipped out of the room.

"He's oversexed," Echo said, shaking his head.

"Not sure there is such a thing for a clone," Rex said, the comment slipping out before he could catch himself. He immediately changed the topic. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing better," Echo said. "Kix and Sly are making progress. Not enough that I can leave here yet, but I'm stronger. It's good to see you, Captain. I wasn't expecting any visitors."

Rex nodded. "I was in here myself not too long ago. Wanted to make sure you knew you weren't forgotten."

Echo looked surprised. "You took care of me, Captain. You sent Fives and Kix with me. They've got my six. You always watch over all of us."

Rex nodded, reassured the accommodations he'd made for Echo were working. "That's good." He glanced down at his wrist out of habit. He wasn't wearing a chrono.

"What is it?" Echo asked, the sharp trooper immediately catching the movement.

"I have a meeting this afternoon," Rex said, "I should probably head back."

_Not to mention, I skipped out on Ahsoka who is supposed to be my Jedi escort._

"I appreciate you coming by. It's a nice change from seeing Fives' face."

"Not sure the face is much different, Echo."

"Eh, well, his stories get to be a bit much sometimes. But, I'm glad he's here. Thanks for making it happen, Captain."

Rex nodded. "If you see Coric, tell him to make sure he finds his way back to the barracks when he's done here."

"Will do."

Rex nodded and exited the room, and ran face-to-face into an irate Skywalker.

"What- were- you- thinking, Rex?" Anger radiated off of the Jedi in hot, palpable waves. The shockwave intensity of it caused Rex to automatically back up a step, retreating toward the room. But, he forced himself to halt, and hold his ground, knowing he didn't want Echo to be tangled up in any part of his mess.

"General," Rex said, stepping forward toward Skywalker and bracing himself for whatever was going to come next. He reached behind him and activated the door panel, closing the door between himself and Echo.

"In here," Skywalker said, pointing to a nearby conference room, his voice clipped in his irate anger. He whisked the door shut with one angry gesture of his hand.

"Sir, I-" Rex began. He was able to get no further, before he was thrown across the room and pinned up against the far wall gasping for air. His mental shields all immediately tightened as instinctive terror took over. It was exactly like the attack by the Sith Witch at the monastary at Teth. He'd been willing to die then before he would betray his General. The chokehold increased. He was running out of air.

"Let him go!" Ahsoka charged into the room and stood between her Master and Rex.

Anakin looked and forth between Ahsoka and Rex. "Where have you been?" Anakin demanded, not releasing Rex.

"I was at the barracks with Commander Appo. Admiral Yularen gave Rex permission to come over here," Ahsoka's words hurried out in a blur of breath as she looked back and forth between Anakin and Rex.

A few seconds later, General Kenobi charged in. "Anakin! Stop this at once!"

The pressure on Rex's neck instantly released and he fell gasping to the floor. Ahsoka rushed over to his side. "Rex!"

He shook his head, looking up at her, still clutching at his throat. He couldn't get enough air in.

"Master!" Ahsoka cried in distress, not looking over at Anakin for help, but over at General Kenobi.

The Jedi Master knelt beside Rex and placed two fingers on the side of his neck. "Breathe with me, Captain, slowly. Breathe in and breathe out." Rex listened to the calm tones of Kenobi's voice and focused on simply breathing. Slowly his air passages opened up and he was able to breathe normally again. He opened his eyes. "Can you sit up?" Rex nodded. "Are you injured?"

"I don't think so, sir," Rex coughed out, his voice hoarse and rasping, "A few bruises is all... Thank you, General."

"What happened?" General Kenobi asked, looking back and forth between Anakin and Rex.

Anakin remained stonily silent.

Rex continued to massage his aching throat, unable to make direct eye contact with General Skywalker yet. He directed General Kenobi instead. "It's my fault, sir. I came to visit ARC Trooper Echo here at ArmyMed without specifically clearing it with General Skywalker."

Kenobi raised up an eyebrow. "A harsh punishment, don't you think, Anakin for a Captain visiting one of his injured men?"

"He's supposed to be with me at all times!" Anakin burst out defensively.

"Yes," Kenobi said, stroking his beard, "about that, why wasn't he, then? How is it the two of you were separated in the first place?"

Both Anakin and Rex were silent.

"My fault again, sir," Rex said, "Commander Tano was kind enough to take me over to the barracks to check on the men, and while she was engaged in a lengthy meeting with Commander Appo, I asked Admiral Yularen for permission to come to ArmyMed. I should have realized it would be an issue. My apologies."

"Yes, all the same, then," Kenobi said, still looking deeply troubled by the whole incident, "perhaps you should assign Captain Rex to the care of your padawan for the duration. Anakin, I think you might be suffering some post-traumatic stress from your imprisonment."

"Of course, Master," Anakin said, sounding not entirely sincere, "I'm sure that's it."

Rex and Ahsoka exchanged a quick stolen look.

"Let's go, Rex," Ahsoka said, pulling him from the room and leaving Kenobi to deal with his former padawan. She stopped outside the door, looking him over. "Are you _sure_ you're alright?"

Rex flexed his shoulders and nodded, wincing slightly. "Only bruises. The armor took the impact from the wall."

"He threw you into a wall?" her voice reflected her outrage.

The small tour of passing senators down the hall turned around and regarded her curiously. Rex shot Ahsoka a look warning her to keep her voice down. "He got angry, Ahsoka."

A troubled look crossed Ahsoka's face as if she'd seen a number of these incidents before. Rex had seen them, too, but hadn't mentioned them to Ahsoka. He always thought he was the only one to witness the General's ugly temper and usually when he was the bearer of bad news.

"This is unconscionable!" Ahsoka objected.

"I'm not sure he means it."

"Wait! He's done this before?"

"Eh... Have you visited Echo yet?"

"Nice diversion, Captain. We'll discuss this more later. Lead the way. I'd like to see Echo, and then we should head back so we're early for the Council meeting on the off-chance they run-ahead of schedule."

# # #

_A/N: Hello All! Happy New Year! I'm back after visiting the family in New York for the holidays. I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. I saw the 9/11 Memorial while I was in the city and it is very powerful and moving. If you ever get a chance, it is definitely worth seeing. Since I haven't posted words in a while, this is an extra long chapter. Enjoy!_


	33. Chapter 33 An Unexpected Crisis

**Rex II**

**Chapter 33**

General Skywalker was already waiting for them when they arrived in the waiting anti-chamber of the Council. He was sitting alone, his elbows resting on his knees, staring out the large glass windows into the Coruscant afternoon. He looked like he'd been there some time already and he was so lost in thought he didn't look up when Ahsoka and Rex stepped off the lift.

"Master?" Ashoka called out carefully.

Anakin looked up, his blue eyes startled. He looked directly at Rex, and it was all the Captain could do to hold calmly in place and not flinch. "I..." Anakin started.

Gah. Now Rex did flinch inwardly. The General was going to apologize. Skywalker only did things like this when Senator Amidala or his former Master got involved. It was much easier without the apologies. He steeled himself, hoping it would be over quickly. Listening to this part coming from his General was always harder than the actions which preceded it.

"I'm too quick to judgement." He shook his head, and his voice was full of regret. "Obi Wan has told me so many times." He blew out a sigh, scrubbing a hand through his too long hair. Rex's eyes flickered to it briefly, wondering why he didn't simply cut it. But, there were so many things about the Jedi that did not make sense. They were not military, and it was apparent in the way they tried to run their battles.

Anakin extended a hand out toward Rex. The Captain looked down and stared at it, studying those fingers, struck with the memory of a vice grip around his neck and the sensation of being force thrown across the room. His back still smarted with bruises and one of his ribs hurt when he breathed too deeply. "I was wrong. It won't happen again."

_But, it will. _

The thought slipped out of Rex's mind before he could help himself, along with a deep sense of disappointment in his General.

Both Anakin and Ahsoka looked over at him sharply. He'd projected the thought out, hadn't he? Fek it all.

A sharp swell of anger upticked out of Anakin again. Rex instinctively stepped back. Ahsoka's eyes widened and she stepped between them.

Anakin withdrew his hand, putting it back down to his side and clenching it into a powerful, dark gloved fist.

"Ah, there you all are," Obi Wan said, sweeping into the room. He froze, looking between them, immediately sensing the atmosphere as if he'd been physically struck himself. The Jedi Master and his former Padawan locked eyes. "_Anakin, walk with me._" Obi Wan's tone brokered no room for argument and the two left the room.

Rex closed his eyes and hung his head down. He hadn't realized his hands were trembling until Ahsoka grasped them in her own, squeezing them.

"Fek," he mumbled, before he realized he'd said the expletive out loud.

"It's not your fault," Ahsoka said.

Rex grunted under his breath, neither disputing nor agreeing. He wanted to pull his hands away, but he needed her strength. One second more to gather himself together and he'd be alright-

"Am I interrupting something?"

The smooth deep slightly accented voice of General Plo Koon startled both of them and Ahsoka immediately dropped his hands. Rex spun around, slipped his hands behind his back and assumed a parade rest position.

"General," Rex greeted, trying to sound as normal as possible.

"Lil 'Soka," the Kel Dor Jedi said, dipping his chin toward Ahsoka. He gave her a long, assessing look. It reminded Rex of the way Obi Wan looked at Anakin, patient and paternal.

"Captain," the Kel Dor Jedi turned to Rex, exchanging a significant look with the Captain reminding him of their exchange last time in the Council Chambers. Rex wondered now if the Jedi Master would question him on the moment he'd witnessed seconds before, but the General continued on as if nothing was amiss. "I brought something," the Kel Dor General announced, distributing micro-mini datapads off of a pouch on his belt. He indicated they should sit on a nearby couch. The cushions were too soft and Rex sank in. He pushed himself forward again, sitting up ramrod straight.

"The WolfPack has uncovered new information out on the Rimma Trade Route," the Jedi Master said.

Rex cocked his head to the side, wondering what this had to do with him.

The General gestured to the datapad, indicating the Captain should read.

Rex thumbed on the pad and scanned through the data. He sucked in his breath. "This is a massive build-up of Separatist forces," a stab of alarm went through him. "It would require multiple battalions to counter such a siege-"

The Kel Dor General nodded gravely. "Exactly. At the moment, the only available battalion is the 104th. Wolffe has written a battle plan based upon _three_ battle groups."

Rex looked down at his pad again reading the detailed battle plan outlined by Wolffe. Three battalions.

The 104th.

The 501st.

The 212th.

"But, sir, the 501st is-" Rex started.

"- badly needed," Plo Koon filled in. "I think there is only one man capable of getting those troops ready in a very short amount of time and I am looking at him."

Rex thought it through carefully before replying. "Understood, sir. I need to talk to my medics. We weren't given clearance to do the med evals and re-cert the men. We'll need additional medics to get the job done quickly."

"Of course. Whatever resources you need, Captain."

The way he was talking it sounded like Rex was already reinstated.

"Armor. Weapons. My men all need kit."

"Done. They will have the latest in everything."

"And, the 212th?" Rex asked.

"Separate arrangements are being made for the 212th."

Rex's stomach fell, thinking of Cody still locked up in the RMB. He'd hoped this crisis could've worked in Cody's favor. He'd be working only with Captain Ko, then, on getting the 212th ready to deploy.

"It is time," the Council doors opened and one of the Temple guards motioned to them.

Rex looked back over his shoulder wondering about Generals Skywalker and Kenobi.

"I'll find them," Ahsoka offered, hurrying off down the corridor where they'd disappeared for their 'walk.'

The Council 'Hearing' was more like a strategy meeting than a disciplinary session. General Windu still gave him long reproachable looks the entire time he was in there. But, their discussions focused on the Crisis at Clak'Dor VII and the urgent need for an immediate Republic response. Rex was asked several times for his opinion on their strategic options. From the sharp looks Master Windu was giving him, he wondered if the Jedi Master was interested in his opinion or testing him. Battle strategy was second nature to Rex since this was what he'd born and bred to do. He answered every question put to him. He was pressed repeatedly about the battle readiness of the 501st and answered truthfully, telling them his men were underweight and over two months without training. But, he praised their performance at Darkknell as they worked to rescue each other even under extreme conditions with poison gas, no armor and few weapons.

"They'll be ready," Rex said confidently.

"It appears they'll have to be," Master Windu said, as if resorting to his last choice legion. "We have no one else to deploy."

Rex fought to keep his expression neutral. The 501st was the pride of the GAR. He stood up straight and proud and kept his mouth shut. Speaking out at the first Council meeting had cost him dearly.

"It's settled, then," Master Windu declared, "pending their medical clearance, both the 501st and 212th will deploy. Armorers are already on-site at the barracks." Rex's eyebrows rose. He wanted to get back. Armor refitting was a huge event. He also needed to talk to the medics. Training? There would not be time for much, but he already had a plan outlined. They would begin as soon as the men were kitted out. Much of the training might have to be done en-route depending upon when they deployed. The ship? Had they been already reassigned a new cruiser?

"_Captain_," General Windu shot him a look of annoyance as if he'd called his name once already.

Rex cursed himself for his moment of inattention. "_Sir_," he said, straightening up sharply. He hoped he was simply being dismissed now so he could get on with all he needed to do.

"There is one more matter to discuss," the Jedi Master said. Something about his tone set Rex on edge.

"Sir," Rex said.

General Windu glanced down at his datapad as if it contained some official authority allowing him to take action. "Due to your _mysterious_ disappearance and seeming inability to adequately account for your time, we have taken a precautionary measure."

Rex sucked in a breath. This did not bode well.

The Jedi Master motioned to the Temple Guards and they opened the Council Doors. Commander Appo walked in and looked over at the Jedi Master, saluting him so crisply and perfectly it set Rex's teeth on edge. "General."

Windu dipped his chin. He didn't seem either impressed or otherwise with Appo. Rex had noticed Appo brought out that reaction in most everyone. "Commander Appo."

General Windu turned his attention back to Rex. "Commander Appo will be staying on in his role as _Commander_ of the 501st Legion permanently," he stressed the word just enough to make it clear that while Rex was still a Captain, this essentially meant a demotion for him. "You will report into the Commander. The Commander will supervise all of your activities. He will provide regular reports not only to General Skywalker, but also directly to me."

Rex couldn't breathe.

He should have expected this, of course. No one said Appo was going away when he returned. He had somehow assumed he would go back to his rightful place in charge of the Legion when he returned.

So, even with getting his rank to Captain restored, Windu still found a way to put him in his place. And, not only that, his every move would now be monitored.

By Appo.

Appo avoided making eye contact with Rex and stood rigidly at attention in front of the Council.

Ahsoka, Skywalker and Kenobi hadn't returned. Did anyone of them know about this? Had they approved it?

"You are both dismissed."

"Sir," Rex and Appo said in crisp unison.

Outside the Council Chambers, Commander Fox was waiting. Cody was by his side.

"Cody," Rex said in surprise. The pleasure of seeing Cody took some of the sting out of the dejection of his 'demotion.'

"How did it go?" Cody immediately asked.

Rex hesitated, not sure how to sum up the entire meeting. He realized with a start that Cody must be here for his own meeting with the Council. He didn't want to put any stress on his friend. He had enough on his mind. "It was alright. I'm officially a Captain again."

"Congratulations, Rex!" Cody beamed, and then studied him. He knew Rex so well, he could immediately tell there were things left unsaid. Appo stood still, saying nothing and not participating in the conversation.

An awkward beat of silence followed. Fox broke the silence. He gestured one of his troopers forward. "_Captain," _he stressed Rex's title, "we come bearing gifts." Fox gestured one of his shock troopers forward. He was carrying a small satchel. "I was instructed to bring this over."

Rex opened up the satchel curiously. It smelled... familiar. "My kit," he said, peering in and seeing his helmet, belt with twin blasters and gauntlet. He handed the bag to Cody so he could pull the items out. He slid his bucket on reverently, feeling immensely relieved as it rested back snugly into place. He tugged on his gauntlets and settled his belt low on his hips. He spun each of his blasters around once just to feel the heft in his palm before tucking them into their holsters. He was whole again.

"Thank you," he said to Fox.

"Obviously you did something right," said the Guard Commander.

"The credit goes to Wolffe," Rex said.

"Ah," Fox said. "He's been busy lately."

The Council Chamber doors slid open and the guards motioned to Fox to bring Cody inside. Rex's eyes shot over to Cody. The 212th Commander looked calm and relaxed enough. Rex wondered if Cody had been given any pre-briefing on what the meeting was about, or if he was going in blind. He should have taken the time to brief him.

"Captain," Appo prompted, already headed over toward the lift.

Rex looked back toward Cody, but the Council doors had already closed behind him.

"_Captain_," there was a hint of annoyance in Appo's voice as he waited in the lift, holding the doors open, "we have a great deal to do."

"Of course, Commander," Rex said, following in Appo's wake.

Oh fek. He didn't like this at all.

# # #


	34. Chapter 34 Allies in Unlikely Places

**Rex II**

**Chapter 34**

Rex and Appo walked through the corridors of the Jedi Temple and out into the streets of Coruscant, the tense silence stretching out between them. The initial joy of making it through the Council meeting was replaced with a growing sense of suffocation.

Without warning, Appo gripped Rex's arm. The action startled him and he whirled on Appo, fueled by too little sleep and too much caf.

"Relax, Rex," Appo said, holding him steady, "I only want to talk to you." He pointed to a small park nearby, and steered the Captain toward an empty bench clustered around a cluster of ch'hala trees. The two 501st officers sat beneath the fragrant trees listening to the slight musical sound made by the long fronds as they rustled in the slight wind of the city's perfectly generated climate. Appo didn't speak right away, so Rex removed his helmet so he could better hear the slight sound of the trees and appreciate the fragrant scent. He turned his face into the slight breeze, appreciating the moment. He'd learned to appreciate every moment over the past few months, and even being beside Appo, wasn't going to deter the small pleasure of appreciating the ch'hala trees. He inhaled deeply, feeling himself relaxing slightly, and felt Appo's curious gaze on him. Rex had spent so much time among blood and guts, he'd learned to take his pleasures where he could. And, just this morning he'd had Ahsoka in his arms, and nothing Appo did could take _that_ away. He smiled to himself and inhaled more deeply. He sensed a slight motion and cracked open one eye, noticing Appo had also removed his helmet and turned his face into the slight breeze.

"It _is_ pleasant," Appo said, looking up at the trees, with almost a childlike puzzlement. He turned to Rex, obviously wanting to say something to him.

Rex closed his eyes again, using the opportunity to get a brief moment of rest into his exhausted frame. "Whatever you want to say, just go ahead and say it," Rex said, not opening his eyes.

There was a long pause and Rex thought Appo wasn't going to speak at all. But, finally he did. "I know you don't care for me, Rex," Appo said bluntly.

Rex opened his eyes, and studied Appo with a frown. He was about to reply, but the 501st commander cut him off.

"Let me finish," Appo's voice was steady and filled with a calm Rex didn't remember being there before the Battle of Kaz'haria and his two months of imprisonment with Ahsoka. "You don't have to like me. I don't expect us to be friends." His eyes bored in the 501st Captain's and held them. "But, you _will_ respect me and my authority." Appo sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was rare for Appo to let his guard down around Rex. "I didn't ask for this posting. I don't think I can ever have the same relationship with the men as you." He stared out at where a small boy was walking with his father and staring up at him with absolute adoration. "They have a hero worship of you that I can never achieve no matter what I do. So, I am not going to try to replace you. I want to work with you so we can get our vode through these battles and get as many of us home as possible. I can't do it without you, Rex."

Rex stared at Appo. It was hard to find the vod unlikable when he was being so brutally honest and forthright. He shifted on the bench and extended an arm in the traditional Mando gesture of brotherhood. "For our vode." Appo smiled, a rare gesture on his face and it transformed his features, making him look like any other vod. "For what it's worth, I'll try to stay out of your way as much as possible."

Rex smiled at this, and clasped arms with Appo. "Alright. I can live with that."

They released arms and each returned to enjoying the peace of the trees for just another moment, before Appo sucked in a deep breath and glanced down at his chrono. "We should go."

He stood and extended a hand to Rex, graciously helping him to his feet. Rex nodded. Maybe Appo wasn't such a bad vod, after all. Maybe he'd misjudged him. He replaced his helmet and they continued on back toward the barracks, working together on a list of action items as they went. With a second officer to share the workload, the task was completed quickly.

"Sir," Rex started-

"When it's just the two of us, call me Appo, alright?"

Appo.

It was almost easier when he'd thought Appo was a total di'kut. This was disconcerting.

"Eh... right," Rex continued on, still not quite able to wrap his head around being friends with Appo. He moved on to more logistical matters. "Will you taking over _all_ of the reporting directly to Skywalker now?"

"I would assume so, yes, why is there an issue?" Appo gazed over at him curiously.

"No," Rex shook his head, and couldn't help putting a hand up to where his ribs still ached from being thrown into the wall. He wondered how he could explain about Skywalker without sounding disloyal to the General. He blew out a heavy sigh, feeling caught between loyalties. "No issue."

## #

Coric stretched and looked up from the spectroanalyzer. With three medics working together, they were making excellent progress. But, there were some basic facets of biology that couldn't be denied. "Sly, where's a brother empty his codpiece 'round here?" He was about to rap on his codpiece for emphasis, always a satisfying sound, but glanced down and remembered he was only in fatigues. His armor was on Darkknell. Blown up with the rest of the place. Fek it. He missed his armor. It had been perfectly broken in and he could still recall every scratch and nick on it.

Sly gave vague directions with a nod of his head, his hands occupied with the blood samples he was holding. "Down the hall to the right. Don't wander too far, vod. We don't even have clearance to be in this sector of the medcenter."

Coric snorted, already headed for the door. "I get the impression you do a lot of rule bending here."

Kix didn't look up from the glass slide of bacterium he was studying as Coric left. He didn't seem to have moved in the past hour or two, he was so engaged in his work. Sly muttered some sort of comment back from where he was working on carefully adding another sample into a blood analyzer, but Coric didn't catch it. He was already on his way out of the lab. The change of light between the lab and the corridor caused him to stop and blink several times until his eyes adjusted to the change. His eyes smarted. They were dry and painful to the point of being blurry. How long had they been in there working? Must have been several hours, at least. Maybe he should check in with Rex. But, he didn't have an easy way of getting in touch with him. No armor meant no gauntlets or comlinks or helmets.

Not paying much attention to his surroundings, Coric wandered into the refresher and relieved himself in the nearest stall. He heaved out a huge sigh. "I need to cut back on the caf," he muttered, finishing off and tucking himself back in. He turned his thoughts back to the results of the spectroanalyzer, humming to himself under his breath. It was some baudy tune Fives insisted on singing in the showers. The lyrics were awful, but the tune was catchy.

The stall behind him opened.

"Talking to yourself. Singing to yourself. And, in the wrong place. Mentally deficient, perhaps?" A woman's voice behind him startled him, and he gripped the woman. It was pure trooper reflex. He pinned her against his chest, completely immobilizing her.

"Stand down, trooper!" the fury in her voice was evident. "What are you doing in here?! Explain yourself!"

Coric continued to hold her as she struggled against his chest, blinking and trying to process the situation. She was facing toward him, and wiggling a great deal. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation.

"Release me, or I will _knee_ you, trooper," the woman hissed, her face just millimeters from Coric.

OK, that registered. He blinked and let go and studied her. She was tall and dressed in the severe fashion that civilians did when they thought they were important. Very important. Maybe a senator or something. But, not as frilly as that senator Skywalker was always hanging about. This one seemed more... sensible. He cocked his head to the side and studied her with interest. Maybe not a senator. Her only identification was a security badge. He couldn't read her name, but it was color coded. He wished he'd bothered to ask Sly or Kix more about the operations of the medcenter. He studied the badge for a moment, unsure what it meant about her rank or status at the center. He shrugged, and folded his arms across his chest. "I came in here to use the refresher. What are _you _doing here?"

"This is the women's refresher," she folded her arms across her chest in an exact imitation of Coric's, and he wasn't sure if she did it intentionally or not, but he liked the way it highlighted certain features of her anatomy.

Coric looked around. "A _woman's_ refresher?" They had no such thing aboard the Jedi Cruisers. "Not sure the refresher cares much one way or another."

The woman stared at him at another moment as if trying to figure out if he was deficient. "_Who_ are you?"

"Medic Coric," he said, straightening up his shoulders.

She scrutinized his appearance. "_Medic Coric_, where is your security badge?"

He looked down at his fatigues, and then back up at the woman. "Nope. No security badge."

"And, why don't you have a security badge, Medic Coric?"

He leaned back against the sink, and then startled when it came on automatically. He leapt forward, narrowly avoiding getting soaked by a small spray of water. He noticed the woman's lips quirked up in a small hint of a smile. He smiled, too.

She cleared her throat, getting serious again. She tapped his chest, and a small shiver ran through him at her touch. "Your badge. Why don't you have one?"

Coric was finding it hard to concentrate. "Eh...because I snuck in through the cafeteria."

The woman's eyebrows rose. "Who sneaks _into_ a medical facility? Most troopers want to get out of here."

"They do," Coric agreed, "I'm here to do research to advance the case of a trooper in my Legion so _he_ can get out."

The woman considered this answer. "Which Legion would that be?"

"501st."

"The Lost Legion," she said with open curiosity, "I was unaware we had any 501st here."

"You have one at the moment. ARC Trooper Echo. He came back with serious complications."

"Show me."

Coric considered her for a long moment, still trying to figure out exactly who she was.

"Trooper," the woman said in concise clipped tones, "you have no security badge and you are obviously not where you are supposed to be. Show me what you are working on, or I will have you escorted out of here immediately."

Coric scowled fiercely and led the way down the hallway. The lab door opened and Kix stuck his head. "Coric, there you are-" He stopped suddenly when he realized his vod wasn't alone. Sly appeared behind him.

"Director Valo!" Sly said, jaw dropping. He paled, dropping his datapad, which hit the floor with a slight clatter. He knelt down and quickly scooped up his datapad.

Coric walked over to help him pick it up, and Sly muttered to him under his breath. "Fek, Coric, she's the Director of the entire facility. What's she doing here?"

"She was in the refresher with me," Coric muttered back.

Sly stared at Coric like he'd gone mad.

"Sly!" Director Valo said, causing the young medic to startle and drop the pad again.

"Yes, ma'am?" Sly said.

Coric retrieved the pad for him again.

"You're supposed to be somewhere else at this time, correct?" Valo said.

"Yes, ma'am." the young medic acknowledged, head bowed.

"Then, get to it, before I need to put you on report. _Again," _the threat was very clear in her tone.

Casting a quick apologetic look at Kix and Coric, Sly hurried out of the room.

"It's not his fault," Coric said immediately, springing to Sly's defense, "he's been helping us."

"Shut it," Valo snapped. "I will be the judge of Sly's actions. He has been walking a fine line toward dismissal and possible termination for a while now."

Coric's froze at her words.

The facility director started to stalk around the room.

"Ma'am," Kix started, "we are-"

"Quiet!" she thundered.

She stalked back and forth around the lab, looking around. "You are not authorized to be in this lab," the civilian woman said, looking around. "You have none of the proper clearance to use any of this equipment."

Coric glanced over at Kix, his chest tightening with fear. They were so close to making a breakthrough which could cure Echo. "We are-" Coric began.

"Working to cure one of the troopers in your Legion," Valo said, "yes, you told me." She scowled fiercely. "You've placed me in a very difficult position, medic Coric." She pierced him with a withering look worse than the one Rex used to discipline errant troopers. She pinched the bridge of her nose, closed her eyes and breathed out opened her eyes again. "However, since you are already here, you may as well show me your work," Valo said, pointing to the glass slides containing their research samples. "You have two minutes to impress me. Make it good."

Valo listened to the two 501st medics work together to explain about a "Kaz'harian bacterium" which was impervious to traditional bacta therapy. They finished up their explanation in precisely two minutes, even with both medics showing her data and talking her through their work. It was most impressive and left her wanting to learn more.

"May I?" she said, holding her hand out for Coric's datapad. She swiped through screen after screen of encoded cell wall points. Fascinating. There was something missing, though. She pointed onto one of the diagrams, drawing the attention of both medics-

And, her comlink went off.

"Director Valo?" the chirpy voice of her assistant.

"What is it, Zan?"

"You're two minutes and five seconds overdue for our staff meeting. Is everything alright?"

She glanced at her chrono. The staff meeting. She closed her eyes, thinking of everything she had to do today. Of course. She had a full agenda of items she needed to review with the staff-

She looked back down at the datapad in her hands and made a decision straight out of her gut. "Zan, run the meeting."

"Excuse me?" her assistant's voice made it clear he wasn't sure if he'd heard the instructions correctly.

"You have the agenda. Take over. I have another urgent matter requiring my attention."

A small pause, then Zan's response. "Yes, Director." Her assistant was puzzled by the unusual request but obviously pleased with the huge increase in responsibility.

She cut the comm and turned her attention back to the pad. The two medics were looking at her curiously.

"My training is in medicine, but somehow all I end up doing all day is attending meetings," Valo said, rolling up her sleeves. "Today, I want to do actual medwork." She tapped the datapad. "I know how to solve this."

# # #


	35. Chapter 35 Misunderstandings

_A/N: Revised 10/30. The scene between Fives and Doctor Valo didn't read quite right, so it has been revised to fit into events which will be happening later in the story. Now, you can read what happened from both Valo and Fives' POV. I also re-wrote the ending scene between Fives, Kix and Coric to give it better flow into the next chapter._

**Whatever Happened to Captain Rex**

**Chapter 35**

Fives was dozing lightly, his feet propped up onto the side of Echo's bed. His brother was asleep. Fives never let himself fall into a deep sleep; not when he was watching over Echo. He'd gotten little sleep since coming here to ArmyMed. He could go a long time without sleep, but he could feel the weariness wearing him down and leaving him with a bone aching weariness. He'd been staving it off with caf, food and sex, but eventually he'd have to rest. Adrenaline could only carry a brother so far.

The sound of the door lightly sliding open snapped him to full wakefulness. He leapt to his feet, DC-17 in hand.

"Stand down, Fives, it's Coric," the five oh first medic said, his voice was slightly annoyed as he gazed at the weapon in the ARC's hand.

Fives glared at him, getting annoyed at being told to constantly stand down when he was doing _exactly_ what Rex had ordered him to do and watch over Echo. What the fek?

There was someone with Coric. A woman he didn't recognize. Kix followed, and immediately crossed over to Echo, taking his vitals as usual and checking all tubes and monitors. Kix handled all of his care on his own as his full-time assigned medic.

Fives regarded the newcomer with suspicion. Fives crossed his arms across his chest, regarding the newcomer warily. He stepped between her and Echo, blocking her access to his brother. "Who is this? Why is she here?"

Coric started to speak, but the woman introduced herself.

"I'm Director Valo. Although, in this capacity, you can refer to me as Doctor Valo."

Fives scowled. "Director. Doctor." He made an impatient gesture with his hand still holding the blaster, the move a barely disguised threat, never caring for titles. "Why are you here?"

"Fives," Coric said, with barely restrained patience, "put that away. She's here to help."

Valo stepped forward toward Echo. Fives moved to intercept her, not letting her getting any closer. He noticed she was carrying a durasteel case. "What is that?"

Coric pushed Fives aside, his own patience frayed from fatigue. The ARC hissed with annoyance. "We figured out a cure for Echo."

Echo stirred sleepily behind them, his voice cracking with fatigue before he coughed dryly. "A cure?"

Fives leaned in with a practiced move, lifting Echo's head enough so he could drink and bringing a pouch of water to his lips. Valo used this opportunity to slip around and get closer to Echo. Fives shot her a warning look, but could do nothing since he was cradling Echo.

Valo watched the two brothers interacting, taking it all in with great interest, and waiting patiently for them to finish.

Fives couldn't shake off the feeling he was being watched like a lab specimen.

He tried to warn her off with his eyes, trying to get her to back off, but she moved in even closer.

"Hello Echo," she greeted, leaning in to touch Echo lightly on the shoulder.

Fives stared at her hand, touching his brother, as if deciding whether to forcibly remove it. She left her hand there, lightly stroking the skin. Echo didn't object, and almost seemed to lean into her soothing touch. Fives scowled even more deeply.

With her other hand, Valo set down the durasteel case, Fives stared at it suspiciously.

"We're going to get you well again," Valo said.

"I'd like that, ma'am," Echo said politely.

Valo removed her hand from his shoulder, and used both hands to open up the case, revealing a half dozen wicked looking hypos.

Echo's eyes widened, paling at the sight of all the syringes. "Those are for Fives, right?" he joked weakly.

"Sorry, Echo," Coric said, pulling out an anti-septic cloth and cleaning Echo's arm. The ARC shivered, whether from cold or anticipation of all the shots, it was difficult to tell. "It is going to get a little worse before it will get better."

"How _much_ worse?" Fives demanded, gripping Coric's arm and halting his motions.

"_Fives,_" Coric gave the second ARC an annoyed look, "stand down."

"I will not fekkin' _stand down_," Fives growled, pushing Coric back. The two men were born identical in size, but at the moment, Fives seemed much larger. Coric was still malnourished from his time in the Kazzie dungeons. He had not regained all of the weight or muscle tone he'd lost. In his ARC armor, Fives had a definite size advantage, seeming to tower over him.

"Fek, Fives, stand down or I'll-" Coric started. He looked over to Kix for back up. The second medic was in the middle of replacing a fluid bag for Echo, and cast an alarmed look between his feuding brothers, hurrying to finish what he was doing so he could intervene.

"Or, you'll what?" Fives said, pushing him into Coric, using his broad chest alone.

Valo immediately slid between them. "Stop!" She grabbed Fives by his pauldroned shoulders. "This is accomplishing nothing." Her eyes blazed into his and Fives stepped forward right into her space, never one to back down from a challenge. For a brief moment, their faces were only millimeters from each other, before he stepped back, breathing heavily.

"Tell me about this treatment," Fives growled, still fuming.

"There _are_ side effects to the treatment," Valo admitted, her cheeks slightly flushed, and looking flustered herself.

"What sort of side effects?" Fives demanded.

"Echo will experience intense nausea as his body purges the bacterium. It is to be expected. He will need to be monitored carefully throughout the process," Valo said.

"We'll constantly replace fluids and electrolytes," Kix said, speaking up for the first time, finishing what he was doing and coming over to stand beside Coric. The two medics presented a united front.

"I don't know," Fives said, facing off against the director.

She stared him down for a long moment before taking a deep breath. "Alright, which part do you object to then?"

Echo groaned. Fives whirled around to see Coric administering the first hypo.

"Hey!" Fives objected angrily. "I didn't agree to this, and you're already giving it to him!"

He swooped in and leaned over his vod getting between Echo and the medics. "Are you OK?"

"Hurts," Echo groaned, clutching his stomach.

"The cramping is normal," Coric said, his annoyance with Fives evident. "The vomiting will start soon."

Fives stared over at the case of syringes. "What if he's not strong enough for this _treatment? _You still have to give him _all of those?"_

"This is Echo's best chance of getting well," Kix said, he was less defensive than Coric, but he was firm in dealing with Fives. "I approved it. Last time I checked, I was in charge of all of Echo's medical care, and not _you_."

The words stung.

Fives shook his head, feeling fatigue making his head buzz. He could barely think straight.

He threw his hands up in frustration.

Echo started to gag.

"No, this isn't the way to go," Fives said angrily.

Coric and Kix moved in, pushing the ARC aside. Fives hissed in annoyance at being pushed away. Kix raised up the bed using the automatic controls, while Coric didn't even wait for the bed to finish and hoisted Echo into an upright position and slid a catch pan under his chin. He rubbed his back soothingly while Echo lost what little food he had in his system.

Fives bristled at being pushed back away and tried to move in to get to Echo again.

"Fives, take a walk with me," Valo said, pulling him out into the hallway.

Coric shot her a grateful look. Even as annoyed as he was, Fives couldn't miss the 'look' that passed back and forth between them.

No, that was impossible.

Coric never looked at women.

The director tugged harder on his arm, dragging him into the hallway with her.

"What are you doing?" Fives spun on her in annoyance as soon as they cleared the doorway.

"We're going for caf," she announced.

"I don't want-" he started, already aware he sounded like a petulant youngling.

"Yes, you do," she said, not even waiting for him to finish.

He was fuming, and while he normally walked silently, his armored boots clacked against the polished floor marking his steps with angry precision. They skipped the lift and took the stairs instead, the director sensing that Fives needed the exercise.

Later on, Valo would reflect the events that happened over the next ten minutes were some of the stupidest she had done in a long time. A very long time. She and the agitated clone trooper, Fives, walked together down the darkened stairwell. It was several flights down to get to the cafeteria, and she was already running late for her next meeting. But, for some reason, she couldn't simply walk away from this dark and brooding trooper. He now seemed like a priority over the staff meeting and filmsi work waiting for her. She couldn't explain it. They walked side-by-side, in silence, until Fives calmed down enough to speak. He stopped, and faced her, in the darkened stairwell.

"What exactly did you do to him?" he was calmer, some of the angry edge gone from his voice. But, there was still something about him in the uneven lighting of the stairwell that seemed _dangerous_. Maybe it was his battle-damaged armor. Maybe it was the way he carried himself. But, this one was different. And, Valo knew she'd be lying to herself if there wasn't something appealing about the whole package.

"I told you," Valo said.

"You gave me the simple explanation," Fives said, standing in his typical pose with his feet slightly spread apart and his arms folded across his broad chest. The move made his pauldroned shoulders flare out. "You don't need to dumb it down for me."

"Very well," Valo took out her datapad, and shifted her body position so she was beside Fives, adjusting her position to accommodate his armored shoulders. "Never did understand these things," she grumbled, glancing at the pauldrons.

"Sly, Kix and Coric were almost there with their research. The Kaz'harian bacteria is a toxin-antitoxin system." She pointed to the screen. "You can see the two specific proteins very clearly. They easily identified how the antitoxins neutralize the cognate toxins by forming tight complexes with them. But," she paused for dramatic effect," then it got a bit more complicated. The antitoxins were completely unstable due to degradation by cellular proteases, but the toxins were stable. And, no matter what combination we tried in the lab, we couldn't figure out how to counter it."

Fives chewed his lip thoughtfully, clearly seeing the problem as she outlined it on her datapad. She glanced over at him, and then halted, staring at his teeth moving on his lip.

"Are you alright?" a puzzled frown crossed his face. When he wasn't angry, there was something even more intriguing about him.

"Uh... yes," she struggled to complete her train of thought. "So, ah yes, the answer was simple, then."

Fives leaned in to see the datapad, then. She caught a whiff of him and never realized clones had a certain _scent_ to them.

Fives pointed to the datapad, drawing their conversation back. "So, this was the part you figured out, then?"

"Uh..." she stared back down at the screen, trying to recapture her scattered thoughts, "... yes, the Kazzie bacterium were nothing more than prokaryotic organisms, and they are very simple to kill. You simply need something which can break down their cell walls so they can no longer stick to each other. Once you do this, they die."

"I'm impressed," Fives admitted.

"Come this way," Valo said, grabbing his arm and leading him down another two staircases. She pulled out her access key to enter a secure floor.

"The cafeteria is still eleven flights floors down," Fives said.

"We're not going to the cafeteria," the director said, her voice hitching slightly. Valo walked Fives through a section of ArmyMed he'd never seen before.

"Where are we going, then?" he asked, looking around at the unfamiliar area of the medcenter. The ARC portion of him immediately started mapping the area for future reference.

"My office," she said, "it's completely secure. We can talk undisturbed in there. All of my staff is in a meeting. I'll show you the rest of the research."

"So, _you_ saved Echo," Fives confirmed.

"I had the missing piece," Valo confirmed, "Coric and the others were close, though. We make a good team. I haven't actually collaborated with clones like this before. It was... invigorating."

She walked quickly down a long hallway, her steps hastening as she went along. She slid her access key into a secure door, pushing him into her office and closed the door. The room was dark.

She turned the lights on, and started fumbling around for the rest of the research. But, even as she was doing it, she need she hadn't come here for research. She hadn't been with anyone in a very long time. She was always _working_. Admittedly, she'd felt a connection to Coric. But, what she felt now for Fives was pure... It went straight to her... She hadn't felt this way in a while. Too long. Others had little trysts. Why couldn't she? Just once?

Before she lost her nerve, she spun around and put her hands on Fives' pauldroned shoulders. She moved her body against his and kissed him.

She was such an idiot. It was by far the stupidest thing she had done in a very long time.

And, not only did she kiss him, she actually _touched_ him. Even thinking about it now is enough to make her want to reach for a benzo-musclerelaxant. But, maybe, just maybe, as long as she avoided him and they never saw each other again, she could forget about the whole miserable incident.

# # #

Fives shouldn't have been surprised.

Women threw themselves at him, all the time.

But, somehow, this _did_ catch him by surprise.

Maybe it was the fatigue. Or, his mottled thinking.

But, he was so thrown off, he didn't respond at first.

"What the fek-" he said.

He was so surprised, her didn't respond. And, that was probably a first, too. She continued her kissing, which wasn't terrible, but certainly wasn't the best Fives had experienced. Not by a long shot. And, then she reached for him. A clumsy grab straight for his cod. She missed and simply knocked his codpiece aside. The armor was at least good for something.

The physical assault sent a shock of adrenaline racing through his system.

"_No_," he said.

He never said no. Not that he could remember. This was definitely a first.

And, there was that dark part of him that wanted to simply take her rough and hard up against her desk. Sex usually made him feel better. For about five minutes. Then, sometimes, actually most of the time these days, he felt worse afterwards. There was something getting more and more fekked up about him. And, everything about this was _wrong_. He was sure of it.

"_No_," he said again, pushing her back away. He stumbled to the exit, found the lift, and immediately made his way back up to Echo's floor. He was still dazed, half in a state of shock, and wandering what the hell had just happened.

It was quiet in Echo's room, although there was the lingering smell of vomit. Echo was asleep, extra bags of fluid hooked up. Kix was already passed out asleep in the extra chair.

Coric looked up when he came in. "Back from caf already Where's Director-"

Fives shook his head. "In her office," he mumbled. "Hopefully she'll stay there," he grumbled.

His eyes swept Fives, and then locked on his midsection. "Fek!" He glared at Fives angrily. "Couldn't keep it in your codpiece, could you?"

Fives looked down and noticed his codpiece was tilted askew. He reached down to adjust the errant armor piece, getting ready to explain the whole bizarre episode to his vode. He looked up in time to see Coric's fist flying at his face. There was enough force behind the unexpected blow to knock Fives off his feet. "This is the way you treat a brother," Coric hissed. "I knew you were self-centered, Fives, but this is low, even for you."

The medic was more furious than Fives had ever seen him before.

Kix leapt to his feet at the unexpected noise. "What the shab?"

Coric looked back at Kix. "Ask Fives. I'm going back to the barracks. I'm so overdue, I'm already likely AWOL." He glared down at Fives still down on the ground and shook his head with disgust, not acknowledging his brother anymore.

# # #

_A/N: As I mentioned in my profile, I have very little time to write these days so I will update my stories when I can but have no set schedule. As always, thanks for reading._


	36. Chapter 36 The Bond Between Brothers

_A/N: Revised 10/29/15. I revised the scene, mainly because I wasn't satisfied with the way the scene read between Coric and Fives._  
_**  
Chapter 36**_

**Rex II**

"Coric, wait," Fives scrambled to his feet, ignoring the feeling of warm blood dribbling down his chin. He grabbed Coric's arm to prevent him from leaving. "_Nothing_ happened."

Kix scrambled across the room from his place watching over a sleeping Echo, ready to interfere in case Coric started swinging again.

"It doesn't look that way to me," Coric growled. He scowled at Fives' skewed armor.

The ARC cursed and tugged the pieces back into perfect alignment. "It's not what it looks like, vod-"

A noise from down the corridor captured the attention of all three of the clones.

Kix peered out into the hallway, and cursed softly under his breath. "Watch out," Kix warned, "another tour is coming through." He slid behind Coric and tugged him fully back back into the room. "Move it, both of you," he ordered in his medic-in-charge voice, getting them out of the way so he could have access to a touch panel on the wall. He entered a security code and the screen lit up with _"Med-Procedure in Progress."_

"When did you learn how to do that?" Fives asked, temporarily distracted. He sounded put out that Kix had acquired a hacking skill he didn't know how to do.

"Learned it from Sly," Kix shook his head, "you were... otherwise engaged."

Coric snorted derisively, and folded his arms across his chest.

Fives flushed angrily. They made what he was doing sound _wrong_. Didn't they have any idea what kind of pressure he was under? "Fek, Coric, maybe if you-"

"Fives, you causing trouble again?" a raspy, sleepy voice demanded from the bed. Echo pushed up onto one elbow, staring over at his brothers. His eyes were still a bit too bright, but he sounded so much like the old _Echo _that Fives wanted to cry with relief.

For a brief, jaw dropping moment, he simply stared at Coric and Kix in astonishment. "It's working," he said, his voice hushed with awe. The debacle with the medical director didn't seem to matter anymore. Echo was awake. He didn't even remember walking across the room. He was suddenly by his brother's side, gripping his slightly too warm hand. "How are you feeling, vod?"

Echo's face scrunched up as he did a self-evaluation. "My head hurts. I... might puke again." Kix thrust a vomit tray under his chin. Echo glanced down at it with a dubious look. "Eh, not just yet, but thanks. Keep that handy." He looked back at Fives. His lips twisted up slightly. "I... feel like..." he stopped to catch his breath, "... Praxus 7."

Fives frowned. "That bar?"

Echo nodded.

Fives chuckled. "That was a great place."

"That was an _awful_ place," Echo countered. "Drinks almost killed us."

Both Kix and Coric frowned at the mention of this story. This was the first they'd heard of it.

"But," Echo continued, "Even with the puking, I feel a little better now."

Kix brought a small pouch of slightly colored liquid to Echo. "Drink this slowly. It has glucose and electrolytes in it. Only a few sips."

Echo complied, scowling at the taste.

Coric pulled a medscanner off his belt, biting his lip thoughtfully as he studied the readings. He nodded with satisfaction. "Treatment's working." He looked directly at Echo. "Your vitals are improving. The bacterium is dying off."

Fives closed his eyes. The relief so palpable he was weak-kneed.

A hand on his arm captured his attention. He opened his eyes to see Coric studying him, genuine concern in his eyes. Kix was working on getting Echo to drink more of the glucose solution.

"You alright?" Coric asked.

Fives nodded.

Coric pulled out his medscanner and ran it over Fives. The ARC wanted to object, but the medic was already finished with his scan. "Actually, you're exhausted and on the verge of dehydration." He opened up his medkit and pulled out a syringe. "Vitamin injection, and I need you to drink fluids. Plenty of them. You're no good to Echo if you let yourself collapse."

Fives nodded in acknowledgement, and watched as Coric put his supplies away. "Coric, for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Coric nodded, accepting the apology. He was silent for a long moment, and finally said: "Can't help who you are, I suppose."

Fives scowled. He hadn't had a chance to fully explain what happened, but it was settled. It was enough.

"I have to get back to the barracks," Coric nodded to Kix and to Echo. "Glad to see you're awake, Echo."

# # #

_A/N: As you may have noticed, the rating on this story has been changed to "M." The content has not changed, and I do not plan to change the tone or style of the story in the future. "M" felt like a more appropriate category for this story since there are a number of romantic scenes which are not suitable for younger readers._


	37. Chapter 37 Echoes of the Republic

**Rex II**

**Chapter 37**

After Coric left, Fives went in pursuit of that cup of caf he'd never gotten before. He carefully dodged a buxomly medtech who called his name and made a grab for him.

"Fek! Quit it!" he hissed.

He kept a sharp eye out for the medcenter director, since she was the last one he wanted to run into after their horribly awkward encounter into her office. His face still throbbed from where Coric had decked him. Kix had offered to put bacta on it, but Fives had declined. He'd resolved his issues with his vod, but there was still part of him which felt he deserved to be hit and he didn't want the bruise soothed away. His boots clacked against the polished floors of the showpiece wing of the medcenter. He glanced at the perfect Alderaani art paintings on the wall, which he had memorized by now since he'd passed by them so many times.

Another two medtechs headed his way, Shoshanna and Cetone, and they both lit up with smiles of recognition.

"Fives!" they both called, the excitement and invitation in their voices clear.

He quickly pivoted, heading out into another corridor, darting and pivoting to ensure he left them behind. He continued to walk. And, walk. He forgot about the caf. He was lost in this thoughts. If all went well, Echo might be released by tomorrow.

Fives startled as a hand gripped him. On instinct, he gripped the fingers tightly, preparing to break them.

"Udessi, vod, it's me."

He startled, and stared at the emaciated clone on the gurney. "Boomer?" He immediately released his grip.

"Yep, it's me," the trooper laughed hoarsely, and the sound turned into a painful, rasping cough. Fives looked around in alarm. There was no one else in the corridor but them. He leaned in and lifted his brother up, holding him up so he could breathe more easily. "Thanks," Boomer gasped out, still struggling for air.

"B, what the fek happened to you?" Fives asked, anger and concern all melting together with one as he held his fellow ARC.

Boomer continued to struggle to breathe, gasping as he pushed the words out between a laugh and a groan. "I look like shit, vod, I know. Got exposed to Acetol while doing covert ops on Regis Prime. It's eating away my lungs."

"Can't they do anything?"

Boomer make a vague helpless gesture with one hand. "Lungs are tricky things to replace. Mine are totally fekked beyond repair." He stopped, rested, taking slow, shallow breaths. He waved a dismissive hand, done with talking about himself. "What are you doing here? Where's Echo?"

Fives blew out a breath. "He's upstairs getting treated. Some weird bacterial infection."

"He's getting better, though?" Despite his own problems, Boomer's eyes were widen with concern.

"Yeah, he's on the mend." He studied Boomer. "But, you, can't they-"

Boomer shook his head. "I'm done, Fives."

Fives heard a noise behind him. Two medtechs were headed toward them. "Sorry, sir," said the first medtech, stepping around Fives and reaching for the gurney. "We need to get this patient to his transport."

"Transport to where?" Fives asked suspiciously.

One of the med-techs shrugged. "Don't know. I just follow orders."

Fives hissed with frustration. "Then why don't you go find out-"

"Fives!" a voice called from behind, distracting him. He spun around. "You got time for me later? I get off in two hours." Sheshonna was closing in on him fast.

"Oh, that's funny," Sheshonna giggled at her own joke. "I get _off_ in two hours. And, then maybe you can get me-"

Fives ignored her and turned back to Boomer. But, the corridor was empty. "Fek!"

"What's wrong?" Sheshonna's fingers drifted up his arm, and it was all he could do not to rip them off his arm forcefully.

"Shonna, I need you to tell me where that trooper is going."

The medtech's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I could get in trouble for unauthorized access of records."

"It's important," Fives said. He leaned in, and blew his breath across her neck. His voice changed, dropping down to a deep, husky timbre. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important." He nipped softly on her ear once and quickly murmured to her what he planned to do to her later. She shivered.

"OK," she gestured for him to follow her, "come with me back to my station. I'll access the record files."

The walk back to her workstation seemed to take forever.

"Alright." She pulled up her datapad, and quickly logged in. "Do you know his ID number?"

Fives leaned over her and typed it in.

Sheshonna leaned in with interest and studied the data. "That's an unusual prefix," she said, pointing to the 'ARC' before Boomer's trooper designation.

Fives gritted his teeth, but didn't make a comment. He fixed his eyes on the screen, waiting for the information to load.

"Here it is," the medtech said, pulling up a flimsi printout and handing it to Fives. "He's on the rooftop transport pad# 846 being loaded onboard with a bunch of others. They're all bound for…" she shrugged. ""…Kamino. So, when do I get my reward?" She turned back to the ARC, smiling with anticipation. "So, when do I get my reward?"

But, the ARC was already gone and she was alone.

Fives raced up to the rooftop transport pad. The ArmyMed facility was so huge it took him several precious minutes to find the correct one. He burst out onto the roof just in time to see the ship blast off into the sky.

"Fek, fek, fek," he said, hanging his head down in defeat, although in truth, he didn't know how he would've managed to get Boomer off the ship. Or make him well again. He already had his hands full with Echo. He sank down onto a nearby ledge, catching his breath, and feeling the weight of the whole situation hit him. He crumbled up the flimsi and stuffed it into his pouch with frustration, and stared up into the crowded city sky. The ship had disappeared and been immediately swallowed up as if it had never existed. Boomer was gone. Disappeared in an instant. And, he wouldn't be coming back. They were cleaning house of the manufactured product which was no longer viable. As they did on a regular basis. His shoulders slumped forward and his armor weighed a ton. He used to wear his armor with pride, a symbol of what he was. A proud defender of the Republic. Now, he wasn't sure what or who he was fighting for anymore. It was all getting so fekked up. The more the war dragged on, he was less sure about his purpose and the meaning of it all. He shoved the thoughts to the back of his brain, knowing if he spoke out to the wrong people that he likely would disappear as well.

There was something _dark_ and _sinister_ about all of it.

He stood up and made his way back to Echo's room. He was only one trooper. What could he do anyway to make a difference?

Even as he buried all of his thoughts and discontent, he could feel it gnawing away at him wanting to break free and be expressed.

And, part of him wondered how long he could suppress it all.

# # #

_A/N: Will miracles never cease? I updated Rex II. I've been writing chapters for this story on a regular basis, but haven't posted any in a while. You can expect more chapters coming soon. In honor of "Echo Day," and the announcement of the new Echo-based episodes coming out next week at Celebration, I figured a Fives/Echo chapter would be appropriate. I will be at the "Bad Bunch"/Echo screening next week. Will any of you be there?_


	38. Chapter 38 Battle Preparations

**REX II**

**Chapter 38**

It was strange to arrive back at the barracks complex with Appo. They wound their way the massive cluster of buildings, working their way over to the barracks. Construct-droids of all sizes zoomed in and around them, adding to the ever-growing military complex. Everytime Rex touched down on Corrie he barely recognized the place because it was always changing. It was unsettling, even for a military man. He wondered if Appo ever felt the same way. It was hard to get a read on Appo. Rex was part of a command team now, second to Appo. He was still getting used to the idea he was no longer in charge of the 501st, and didn't have free reign to carry out Skywalker's commands on his own. Unless anything changed, from now until the end of the war, there would be a whole other layer of command in place between him and "the chosen one."

_In some ways, it might be a good thing…_

Rex quickly squashed the thought. He stole a glance at Appo, wondering if he should warn him about Skywalker's outbursts. What could he say, though? The General didn't do it all the time. Just when he lost his temper. But, he seemed to be doing it more and more lately...

"Something on your mind, Rex?" Appo asked, startling Rex out of his chain of thought.

Not good. He'd had way too much caf. He could smell it within his bucket with every breath he took.

"Rex?" Appo prompted. The 501st commander could actually be very patient, much more so than Skywalker.

Rex hesitated, torn between loyalties. "No," he finally ground out. "Everything's good."

"You sure, Rex?" Appo prompted, and for a moment and there was a hint of genuine concern in his voice that reminded Rex of Cody. It threw Rex completely off, because he didn't know if he _wanted_ to like Appo.

Rex took a deep breath. If he was going to work with Appo, maybe the trust had to start now. He would _have_ to tell him. "Appo-"

But, they were interrupted by two cheerful voices ringing out from guard duty at the front gates of the barracks.

"Captain!"

"Captain!"

Neither of the guards on duty greeted the commander.

"Waxer, Boil," Rex greeted.

The 212th clones snapped off immediate salutes. Rex jerked his chin slightly toward Appo. Waxer picked up on the gesture immediately.

"Commander," Waxer said, straightening up, and greeting the 501st commander properly. His boot lashed out and he kicked Boil, who responded a second later, and did the same.

Appo responded with a cool nod, the less than warm greeting not lost on him.

"Any news of Commander Cody?" Boil asked, turning to Rex.

Rex's eyes swept his HUD for new comms from Fox, just as they'd had every few microseconds. He turned to Appo. As a higher ranking 501st officer, he might now be privileged to information Rex might not be deemed "need to know."

Appo shook his head.

"Sorry, Boil, we'll keep you updated," Rex said.

"Understood, sir." Boil replied, but behind his gruff voice was concern and affection. He jerked his chin. "Admiral ordered everyone to their quarters. Armorers are on the way."

Rex nodded and stepped inside with Appo.

The corridors were empty and it took a moment for his HUD to adjust to the change in lighting. Some of the tension eased from Rex's shoulders and he had a sense of being _home._ Even through his bucket, he could smell the new paint, and these barracks were both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time. But, it didn't matter. The 501st was here.

Rex recognized the distinctive polished tread of the Admiral's boots on highly polished floors even before he appeared. "Ah, Captain, Commander. I heard you were back," the Admiral said, striding forward to greeting them.

Rex knew that Waxer and Boil had likely notified the Admiral of their arrival the moment they'd come within sight of the barracks. His smooth confident tones washed over Rex and for a moment he felt like he was back on _the Resolute. _Everything was back as it should be. No confusing back-end politics which didn't make sense, causing him to doubt his place, the Republic and the entire war. In his fatigue, Rex let himself fall into a contented state of disbelief, reassured by the Admiral's steadying presence. He slid his hands behind his back into parade rest. Everything would be OK now.

The Admiral straightened up and tucked his shoulders back. Rex recognized the move. It was what Yularen did when he had to deliver bad news. "I'm afraid I have to leave you."

Appo blinked in surprise, but recovered quickly. "Sir?"

"I've been recalled back to Republic Intelligence," his jaw tightened slightly, but it was the only sign of stress he gave at his displeasure with his orders. "I leave the Legions in your capable command, gentleman, until the Generals return."

He handed datapads off to the two clones. "Good luck." He nodded crisply and stepped away down the corridor.

Rex stared after him as he walked away. What the fe-

Appo's hand on his shoulder startled him. "We've a briefing to do. Let's go tank up on caf."

The last thing Rex needed was more caf. He needed sleep. Days of it. But, caf would have to do. He tamped down his fatigue, and willed his body to keep going.

# # #

They were deep in conversation, reviewing the information on the 'pads the Admiral had left, when Boil alerted them to the arrival of the arrival of the Legion armorers.

The massive new shipments came in by a fleet of shuttles, landing directly on the rooftop landing pad. Appo and Rex headed up to the 'pad to greet the mini armada. As they stepped out onto the roof, they were nearly run down by a flotilla of droids speeding toward the opening lift doors. Rex had to curb the instinct to drop to one knee and fire on the droids as they rushed toward him and Appo.

They both leapt to the side, rolling out of the way as the droids rushed into the lift, bearing crates with Republic logos four times their mass.

Rex's hand tightened on his holster, the urge to fire on tinnies so strongly ingrained in him.

"Steady," Appo said next to him, giving him a hand off of the duracrete.

Rex let go of his blaster, grumbling unsavory sentiments under his breath in Huttese about the makers of Republic service droids.

Appo laughed, and the sound threw Rex off. He almost sounded like Hardcase when he laughed and he couldn't think of two vode who were more different. "I don't think droids have mothers, Rex," Appo chuckled.

Rex 'hmmmped' under his breath, and they both kept back out of the way as the rush off droids passed, some of them crashing into each other in their haste to make it into the lift. Their quartermaster, Harley, suddenly materialized next to them, saluting in his trademark quirky manner. Rex hadn't seen Harley since... fek... before he'd been injured on TriLuna. He never had been able to get Harley to salute properly, but he was such a good quartermaster it never mattered. Harley stepped right into the chaos, amping his bucket up to full volume, and re-routing the swarming sea of metal. Appo rapped Rex lightly on the pauldron to get his attention and they descended back to the mess.

They still had a whole fekkin' battle plan to plan.

# # #


	39. Chapter 39 Kenobi

**Rex II**

**Chapter 39**

Free.

Cody walked through the streets of Coruscants and took a deep breath of the overly filtered city air. He'd probably sucked in a dozen different pollutants, but at the moment, he didn't care. He was finally free of the RMB. And, the Jedi Council.

More or less.

He glanced over at his Jedi General walking by his side. Kenobi looked back over at him and quirked up an eyebrow. "You want to talk about it?"

"No," he answered without thinking, and then sighed heavily. "Sorry, General." He tugged off his helmet, jammed a hand through his hair and met Kenobi's eyes.

He wanted to forget about the whole miserable incident.

Kenobi studied him, stroking his beard for a moment as he looked thoughtful. "We are pressed for time. But, then again, we are always in a hurry. I can make time for the man who saved my life."

Cody wondered if he should object and insist they head back to the barracks. There was so much to be done. But, Cody had learned a great deal over the past few months. There was more to life than war.

He nodded his agreement.

Kenobi pointed down the street to a trendy quickcaf. Cody had walked by such places hundreds of times, but had never actually been inside one before.

As they stepped inside, he was overwhelmed with the smell of fresh roasted caf. Some of the patrons looked up from their caf, data pads and conversations long enough to give them a curious glance, but quickly lost interest. There was a long line, reminiscent of clones queueing up in the mess. Cody joined the queue. This part he understood.

Cody stared at the menu board, overwhelmed by the choices. There were this many types of caf? As he listened to the patrons on line ahead of him order, he wasn't sure what language they were speaking. It sounded like Basic, but it appeared to be a language specific to caf. He made a mental note to ask Leon, the linguistics expert. He glanced over at his General and quirked up an eyebrow. Kenobi laughed.

"Would you like me to order, Cody?" the General offered.

Cody nodded, relieved of having to decipher another oddity of civilian behavior.

They stood patiently side-by-side on line, not speaking, but the silence wasn't awkward.

"Two orders of Garquis Traditional Dark," the General said, "make it double sweet…" he pursed his lips as he perused a lit up display of pastries Cody had not noticed before. How had he missed that? "Are those sweesonberry rolls? And, cracked donuts? I'll need two of each of those, as well." The bot returned with their order and they searched out an empty table in the cramped establishment. It was noisy and crowded, but they found a table in the far back corner. Cody settled in with his back to the wall and watched the room.

Kenobi took a long sip of his caf. "Ah." He smacked his lips with pleasure, and gestured toward Cody to try his drink.

Cody regarded the General curiously. "Sir. You drink caf? I thought Jedi only drank-"

Kenobi laughed. "Tea? No. That's what they serve us at the Temple. Supposed to keep the mind clear," he took another long sip of his caf. "Outside of the Temple, we do live a little."

Cody stared at him, trying to interpret that statement and what it might mean. Live a little? How much is a little?

"Cody," Kenobi interrupted his thoughts.

He gestured for Cody to try the drink.

Cody took a sip. It was extremely hot, so much so it almost scalded his tongue. And, sweet. But, it was a good distraction and tore his mind away from other painful topics he didn't want to dwell upon.

Kenobi divided up the pastries and the two ate in silence. The combination of hot caf and sugar hitting his system soothed him. After he finished eating, Cody looked over at the General. "Sir, I fekked up," he flushed, embarrassed for his course language in front of the General. It was how he would talk in front of his clone brothers, but he was never that unguarded with Kenobi.

Kenobi waved it off. "You didn't."

"I took on the Jedi Council," Cody protested.

"Sometimes they need challenging," Kenobi said, "you did what you thought was right."

"But, sir, I'm a soldier. I'm supposed to follow orders," Cody protested.

The General looked at him. "It doesn't rob you of the right to think, Cody." Kenobi pointed to the server bot whirring through and serving drinks at the counter. "It is what separates you from them."

Cody still looked troubled. He toyed with his disposable steri-cup. "I'm not sure the rest of the Council agrees with you, General." He sighed and shook his head again. "If not for this battle coming up and you speaking on my behalf, I think I would have been left in the RMB," his voice dropped, "or worse."  
Kenobi grimaced distastefully at the mention of "or worse," but Cody noticed he didn't refute Cody's near miss.

Kenobi's voice dropped very low. "The Council isn't always right, Cody." He met the clone's eyes. Kenobi made a another dismissive motion with his hand. It was a very Kenobi-like gesture, but managed to convey his frustration at the burdens and secrets he was forced to carry. "I won't go into details, but trust me on this one. And, promise me you won't stop thinking for yourself. It is one of the qualities I admire most about you."

"Sir?" Cody's brow furrowed in puzzlement.

"It took real courage to do what you did, and I wouldn't be here alive if it wasn't for you," Kenobi said. "Never lose that quality. We need more men like you, Cody."

Cody thought over the General's words carefully and then nodded taking them to heart. "Yes, sir."

Kenobi finished off his last sip of caf and then brushed a few crumbs from his fingers. "We have to go. We're supposed to meet Anakin, Rex and Appo for a planning session. Although, knowing Anakin he will be late." His face flashed with an emotion Cody couldn't quite identify, and then it was gone, replaced with a carefully neutral expression. "Admiral Yularen says he has some good news for us, though."

Kenobi led the way out of the quickcaf and back out into the busy street.

# # #


	40. Chapter 40 Phase II

_A/N: Happy New Year all! A new chapter of Rex II. Past couple of months were a bit hectic, as I was involved with a lot of activities surrounding a little movie which opened in mid-December. Thankfully, I am in a blissful little lull now which has allowed me to crank out a new chapter of Rex. I've also gone back and revised a number of earlier chapters to add in a few bits of juicy content. I've made marks in the beginning to note which chapters have new content. Hope all of you had a terrific holiday. As always, please feel free to point out my grievous errors. - LLTC._

**Rex II**

**Chapter 40 **

As they were about to head downstairs from the landing pad, Appo's comlink beeped. He glanced down at it. "Time to get get fitted for the new armor." He glanced over at Rex. "We need to take a break anyway. I need to do a walkthrough check on the men."

Rex opened his mouth to object. It was_ his_ job to check on the men. And, they were planning on creating a training schedule for the men. And-

Apo put up a hand to forestall any objections. "You look half-dead on your feet, Rex."

Rex wondered if he should be offended by the comment.

"Get your new kit, and get a bit of rest," Appo continued. "_That's_ an order. We'll pick this up again later."

Rex hesitated a moment, still not entirely used to taking _orders_ from Appo.

"Yes, sir."

If Appo had noticed his hesitation in acknowledging the orders, he didn't say anything. Appo turned and disappeared down the durasteel steps, the treads of his armored boots ringing lightly with each step.

Rex leaned on the edge of the rooftop railing and turned his attention to studying the sprawling military complex. All the new structures in this military complex were massive, with spaces set out for more buildings. Everything the Republic was building seemed to be _bigger_, which struck Rex as odd since the Chancellor always made it sound like victory was imminent. Why build such _up_ the military if they thought it would all be over soon?

Rex sighed and turned away from the railing. He couldn't afford to be questioning _anything. _All he could do from this point forward was follow every fekkin' order, no matter how shabla' inane or poorly thought out. He'd made the decision to come back for the 501st and for… _other_ reasons. Now, he had to protect the brothers back in Ando. He couldn't afford to be reckless, not like he'd been in the _shabla_ Council Chambers. He still winced when he thought back to how he'd voiced his true feelings to the Council. What had he been thinking?

He scrubbed a hand across his face, blew out a sigh, and turned his mind back to going over the battle data-

"Hey! Watch where are you going shinie!"

Rex studied the broad shouldered trooper he'd so unceremoniously walked into coming off the stairwell.

"Fives!" His vod looked as exhausted as Rex felt. Was it something other than watching over Echo? When Rex had a minute, he would sit Fives over a cup of caf and get him to talk.

But, in the meantime, his vod was still being... Fives. Rex extended his arm for a traditional vod handshake, but Fives would have none of it. He gripped Rex in an immediate back thumping hug.

"OK, OK, Fives, can't breathe," complained Rex.

"And, I brought back a stray," Fives said proudly.

Rex struggled free of Fives' back-breaking grasp and looked over at the almost identically-clad pauldroned trooper next to him. He was thin. Pale. But, undeniably Echo. Rex clasped Echo's arm. "You alright?"

Echo nodded. "Clean bill of health, thanks to Coric. Starting to feel myself again."

Rex smiled. "Glad you're back, trooper. Speaking of Coric, have you seen him?"

"He's in the officer barracks," Fives said. "Waiting for us. And, you, too, apparently."

The layout was still the same as their old barracks, but like the military complex itself, everything was now expanded. There were more rooms, so the barracks could house more troopers. Rex tucked the information away for later so he could mull it over. It all seemed like pieces of a puzzle, somehow, but he wasn't sure how it all fit.

The room was spacious for a bunkroom, more so than their previous quarters. But, it was clear to see the room was designed to be easily expanded if the needed arose to add in more troopers.

Coric greeted each of them, and then vaguely to the bunks. "Claim whatever bunk you want. I doubt we'll be here long." The medic pointed to the new foot lockers around the room, one for each of them. "Delivery bots just dropped of your new Phase II."

Rex walked up to the storage locker marked CT-7567. It was different, with a more clinical look than the old style. The coloring and style of the foot locker reminded him of the bland, impersonal prison walls of the RMB. He opened up the foot locker and studied the contents. He picked up the helmet and traced a finger around the bulbous face.

"Added filters," Coric explained, as Rex studied the bucket. Gone were the elegant lines reminiscent of their Mandalorian heritage.

"What the fek?" Fives said, pulling his own bucket out and studying it. "Who came up with this design?"

Echo pulled out his helmet and studied the interior. "Yes, definitely more filtration. We could have used this back on Darkknell. Would've saved some troopers."

Echo had a point. But, Rex agreed with Fives. He held the helmet up from all angles, studying it. Surely there was a better way to integrate the new filters.

"Phase II armor is supposed to be more comfortable. Allow us to move more easily during battle," continued Coric.

Rex set down the bucket and lifted up each of the twenty new plates. He turned all of the pieces around carefully, noticing the differences in cut. The butt plate was angled in more.

"You can sit in it now without it being a pain in the shebs," said Coric.

Fives stared at Coric. "Did you just make a joke?!"

"I do have a sense of humor, Fives."

Fives quirked up an eyebrow. With the one simple gesture he seemed to say he disagreed, yet wasn't going to argue the point.

Rex flexed the chest piece. "The material is different. Lighter, yet stronger somehow."

"That's because of you," Coric said.

"Me?"

"After what happened to you, Senators Organa and Amidala petitioned for better equipmentwhich could better withstand the new Separatist technology. They said we couldn't win the war without it." Coric pulled his datapad off of his belt and showed Rex the official military briefing on the topic.

Rex skimmed through it, amazed what had happened to him had such repercussions for other troopers. Some of the details in the report were word for word from interviews with him at ArmyMed. He remembered the doctor asking him those questions. He'd asked him several times how it felt when he was struck, the intensity of the pain, how his armor had splintered, how many fragments had embedded into his knee-

He shuddered.

"Rex?" Coric asked.

His vode were all studying him intently.

"Not the best memories." He scrubbed at his face, pushing the memories away.

"At some point, you'll need to talk about what happened to you," Coric pushed.

"I'm OK," Rex insisted.

"You have post-traumatic stress," Coric said, without backing down. "You're re-experiencing the events. You lack focus at times, which is out of character for you."

"Drop it, Coric," Rex growled.

"And, you're irritable," the medic finished.

"I'm simply tired," Rex insisted.

"Difficulty sleeping," Coric added to the list.

Rex flashed back to his night with Ahsoka. He couldn't tell the medic the true reason he was beyond exhausted. He turned his attention back to the armor.

He picked up the shin and thigh armor, studying the way the sniper plate interlocked, providing coverage for the knee. He pushed on it, testing the material and wondering if it would make a difference for his troopers.

Coric watched him carefully. "They shouldn't have sent you on that mission without a medic." His voice darkened with frustration. "I could've triaged you right away. I never would've delayed your Code Red Evac. Not with so severe an injury. It would not have escalated the way it did and you and Ahsoka wouldn't have been forced into such a situation."

Rex winced inwardly, not even wanting to think back to the events of TriLuna. He focused instead on Coric's words. He never realized the medic blamed himself for what happened.

"Coric, we were ordered to stay there. There was no way you could have prevented what happened."

The medic shook his head. "There are some orders that shouldn't be followed."

The conversation was straying into dangerous territory.

And, the problem was, Rex agreed. His defiant nature had already landed both him, _and_ Cody, into the RMB. He couldn't afford any sort of talk about orders not being followed. Ever. Not if he wanted any chance of remaining in the GAR with his vode. He had to follow every fekkin' order. He quickly changed the topic to safer territory.

"What else can you tell me about this Phase II armor?" He had the specs on the datapad in front of him, but he was trying to redirect Coric.

Coric shook his head and sighed. But, he answered the question, holding the datapad out to the others so they could peruse the data for themselves. "Lighter, strengthened plates, which allows the armor to take more punishment in combat. Increased padding."

"Look at this!" Echo pointed excitedly at the screen. "Heat-resistant, allow the wearer to pass through energy shields." He looked back and forth at the others. "Do you really think that will work?"

Fives grinned. "We'll make Hardcase test it out first."

Rex shook his head. He wasn't sure he believed all of the claims by the manufacturer. Sometimes what the manufacturer promised and what the finished armor could do in the field were vastly different.

"Improved temperature control systems to allow for combat in more harsh conditions," Echo read. He looked thoughtful. "Not sure I like the sound of that." He turned his attention back to the datapad. "Increased stability due to the addition of a small gravitational field alternator in the boots…. Huh." Echo stared off toward the wall, and Rex could tell he was doing calculations in his head. "A gravitational field alternator…"

If the claims were true, the new armor was vastly superior to the old.

Echo turned his attention back to Rex. "What do you think of the new armor?"

"They should have consulted a clone on the design," he hefted the new helmet back and forth from hand to hand. It was light enough, and the thought of better protection for his men was reassuring. But, the _look _of it was all wrong. This was… something else entirely. When he had time, he would make some mods to it.

"You'll like it better with your own markings on it," He pulled several mini cans of blue paint, and detail brushes out of his foot locker.

"Fek, yes. Thank you, Coric." He clapped the medic on the shoulder so hard that Coric winced.

"I need to do medical scans on all three of you. You still need to clear medical. Echo, I have your records from ArmyMed, but I still need to clear you for combat," Coric said.

A flash of worry crossed Echo's features.

"Don't worry, Echo," Coric said, "I'll mark in my report that you'll likely still have a couple days rest en-route before we deploy. Worse comes to worse, you might end up with a monitoring task from orbit."

Echo nodded.

"I need to get these reports in," Coric said, "I can scan while you paint."

Fives walked over to get the supplies from Coric. Rex nodded with thanks to the medic. Fives tossed him a small can of paint and a brush. Rex caught them easily. It didn't take much paint to detail the armor. Just a steady hand and the willingness to get it done right.

Rex pulled out all of his plates from his foot locker, and then shut the lid and set the ones he wanted to work on back on the lid as a working surface. Echo and Fives did the same, and the three of them sat on the floor in front of their foot lockers. With no other seating in their bunkrooms other than their beds, it was the best available worksurface.

Rex shook the paint vigorously and then popped the lid. The slightly chemical smell hit his nostrils. It was familiar in a way that was soothing. He settled, content to be working beside his brothers once again. Rex hefted the helmet. Maybe once he got some paint on it, he wouldn't mind it so much. He carved the Jaig eyes above the visor with six deft strokes, and then leaned back to let the paint dry for a moment before tackling the outlining around the visor.

Echo and Fives were painting their ab plates blue.

"Captain," Echo said, "when you have a moment, I could use a hand over here." He held up his chest plate.

Fives guffawed.

Rex smiled, remembering the moment back on Rishi when he'd originally placed a handprint on Echo's Phase I armor. He was touched the trooper wanted him to do the same for his Phase II.

Coric took advantage of his break in painting to shine a light in his eyes, and then slowly ran a scanner over him. As usual, the medic wore an inscrutable expression while he was working. Rex watched him work out of the corner of his eye, trying to keep his expression neutral. He knew his body had taken a beating over the past several months. He'd been decommissioned due to his injuries, and never certified as fit for duty again. Even though he'd been given his rank back, he could still fail medical.

"Find anything interesting?" Rex asked in a light-mannered tone. He turned his attention to adding a stripe of blue to his bicep armor to keep himself calm.

Coric remained silent, refusing to be distracted from his task at hand.

Echo and Fives looked over from where they'd moved on to painting striping on their gauntlets. They looked back and forth between Rex and Coric but remained silent.

Coric held his scanner over Rex's rebuilt knee. It bleeped alarmingly. Rex sucked in his breath.

"Shuck your plates, Rex. I need to take a closer look at your knee," Coric said.

"I spent time in bacta after Darkknell," Rex objected. "You saw my knee."

"I wasn't certifying you for battle-readiness," Coric pointed out. "I was doing triage on you."

Inwardly Rex was hit with a stab of guilt for giving Coric a hard time. The medic was doing his duty. But, Rex had no idea if the knee he'd been given on Ando was enough to pass Republic standards. Ando was primitive by Republic standards of medicine. And, the best military hospital in the Republic had declared Rex a lost cause.

Still, there was too much riding on this one. Rex _had _to pass medical.

"You saw me fighting at Darkknell, Coric," Rex cajoled. "I rescued your shebs."

Alright, that was almost a low blow bringing that up. But, he couldn't fail this test.

"There is no doubt about what you did for all of us," Coric said, not backing down, "but, you're required to go through the same tests as everyone else. Shuck your plates."

Rex sighed quietly and stood up so he could shed his thigh, sniper and shin plates, and slid off his boot. Coric pulled apart the hook and latches on his bodysuit above his knee. Rex stood still at the slight brush of cold air against his leg. He looked down at the substantial scarring all around his knee which bacta had helped, but couldn't heal. Echo looked over with polite curiosity, while Fives leaned in so far that Coric had to push him back.

"Fek, now that's a scar! Only trooper in the GAR ever to be hit with a clone-shredder," Fives whistled in admiration.

"I'm not exactly proud of it, Fives," Rex said.

The ARC craned his head, trying to get another good look. "If that was my scar, I'd be showing _everyone_."

"Fine, next time _you_ go on the mission," Rex grumbled.

Fives grinned. "Only if _I_ get to go with Commander Tano."

Rex's jaw dropped, and Fives burst out laughing.

Echo looked back and forth between the two as if there was a joke going on he didn't quite understand.

Coric's jaw tightened as he took his readings, but he didn't comment. He reached in with his thumb and forefinger and squeezed Rex's kneecap. "Any tenderness when I do this?"

"A little," Rex admitted honestly. "Feels like a bruise. But, it's not bad." He couldn't lie to Coric. He was one of his best friends and had saved his life more times than he could count. Rex would do many things so he could do to his duty to the Republic, but lie to his friends was not one of them.

"And, when you run? Any pain?" Coric asked.

Rex considered the question. He'd run for several hours on Darkknell. It did start to ache after he'd abused it significantly during the battle. "Yes," Rex said, with a heavy sigh, "we were running for much of the time through those dungeons, and I was feeling it."

His stomach sank. He was going to fail medical.

"Balance on this leg," Coric said, tapping on Rex's rebuilt leg. "Hold it. 30 seconds. Focus on the opposite wall. It will help you hold your balance." Balance wasn't an issue. Travis had done this exercise with him daily back on Ando working to get strength back in his knee.

"That's good, Rex. Now bend down, if you can, just on the one leg."

Another easy one. He'd practiced this one with Travis, too.

"OK, I've seen enough," the medic said.

Coric made some more notes in his datapad. Rex couldn't read his expression. He was wearing his medic-in-charge face.

He finally turned his full attention to Rex. "Whomever did your knee replacement, knew what they were doing. You still have a bit of inflammation, but that's normal. I can work with you to clear it up. Considering what your medical reports said from when you left, this looks very good."

Rex blinked with surprise. "I passed?"

Coric held up the datapad and showed Rex his profile with the medic's electronic signature and the official Verification of Battle Certification.

Rex wanted to let out a whoop, but it would be undignified and not becoming of a Captain. Instead he settled for clasping Coric's arm. "Thank you."

Coric shrugged. "I didn't do anything special. You passed."

Rex couldn't contain his smile as he turned his attention back to painting his armor. He looked up and noticed Fives and Echo were both grinning. It was a good moment. He locked on to the memory. He had no idea what the future would hold. He still hated the design of this new fekkin' helmet. But, he was back with his vode. And, for the moment, it was enough.

# # #


	41. Chapter 41 A New Beginning

_A/N: Hello All, I've been writing a great deal on both Rex II and Ando. This chapter could have been one long chapter or two more manageable ones. I chose to divide it up for my own purposes since I find the shorter chapters easier to handle. I will get the second half posted shortly. These are still lighter chapters with Rex adjusting to being back as there are some heavy battle scenes coming up ahead._

**Rex II**

**Chapter 41**

Rex finished off the second coat of paint on his bucket and studied the result. Coric was right. It did look better with some 501st blue on it. The bulbous filters still irked him, but he'd make it work.

Clones adapt. It is what we do.

Rex stared at the helmet, already planning mods to it.

"I can see you rebuilding that thing in your mind," Fives said, coming up beside him.

Rex smiled at the ARC. "Scary how well you know me, Fives."

Echo set his bucket down, and came over to Rex with his chest piece and some paint. He nodded with his chin toward the armor piece he was holding. "You still willing to do this?"

"Be honored, vod," he accepted the can of paint, "although, this is no Rishi Eel."

"It'll be OK," Echo said. "Happy not to see one of those again."

"That _was_ badass, though," Fives said, picking up Echo's old chestplate and giving Rex a speculative look, "maybe we could track one down and see if you could go two for two-"

"No," Echo and Rex said simultaneously.

Coric handed Rex a flattened flimsi-plast container used for specimen collection.

The 501st Captain stared at him blankly, before saying: "Whatever you want out of me, the answer is no."

The medic burst out laughing, a rare sound out of Coric. "Charming. But, it's for the paint."

Rex flushed, but he was pleased he'd made Coric laugh. His medic friend had one of the hardest jobs in the Legion, and the strain was beginning to show.

Coric held the flimsi-plast steady as Rex poured in a thin layer of paint.

"This better wash off," Rex muttered, as he dipped in his palm and fingers.

"Maybe you should have thought of that _before_ you dipped your hand in it," Fives observed. "Parts of me have been blue before, but never my hand-"

"Fives!" Rex barked, almost tipping over the tray of paint. Coric steadied it carefully.

"Bad ARC," said Coric, producing a fit of laughter from Echo.

They all looked over at Echo with surprise. He didn't usually burst into such gales of laughter.

Echo smiled at all of them. He was happy. Genuinely happy.

It was a good moment, and Rex tucked it away in his mind. He knew moments like this didn't come often.

Rex pulled his hand away from the chest plate, careful not to drip any paint and studied the result critically. "Not sure if the angle is the same as before."

"Doesn't have to be," Echo said, accepting the chest piece. "This is a new set of armor." He looked up at Rex with hazel, earnest eyes. "A new beginning."

Rex headed off to the refresher to wash off the paint and pondered Echo's words. His vod was right. Rex kept wanting to go back to the way things were before TriLuna. But, that would be trying to step back into a life that didn't exist anymore. Things had changed. _He _had changed. It was time to accept this chapter in his life for what it was and move forward.

He stared down at his hand.

The paint was _not _coming off.

He emerged from the refresher holding up his blue hand, and Fives doubled over in laughter.

Rex shook his head. "How they ever promoted you to ARC is beyond me."

Fives fell to the floor he was laughing so hard, breathing in short little gasps. "It… was… your…. idea."

"Sad, but true," Rex admitted.

Coric came over with his medbag. "I have a medgrade salve which should work. Supposed to be for emergency field surgery, but I've used it to strip the paint from my armor." The medic unscrewed a small tube of clear liquid and Rex reared back from the chemical odor.

"I think I'd rather stay blue," Rex said, leaning back away from Coric.

Fives gasped for air on the floor.

"Man up, trooper," Coric said, gripping Rex's hand and furiously scrubbing at the skin with both his hands. "Huh, not coming off…" He dug into his medbag for a stiff sponge, and attacked Rex's skin once more.

"Ow! Easy Coric!" Rex complained. "I still need my skin when you're done!" But, the medic quickly had all of the paint removed. He examined his hand. The skin was reddened from the vigorous scrubbing, but at least it was a more normal shade for a clone now.

Coric gave him a satisfied look.

"Thanks," Rex muttered.

The smell, though.

"I'm going to shower," Rex announced.

"That never helps me when I've got problems with blue-" Fives started. Rex tugged off his shoulder plate and chucked it at the ARC.

Fives caught it easily. "I'm keeping this," the ARC said, looking at the battered shoulder plate.

Rex shook his head and closed the refresher door behind him. He stripped down, shucking off his battered plates, and was about to step into the shower, when he realized this might be the last time he took of his old Phase I. He stared down at it, a pile of battle-worn armor which had saved his life more times than he could count.

He sighed and stepped into the shower, knowing he'd have to let the old kit go. They were planning on recycling all of the old armor. The thought of his kit being destroyed pained him.

He shoved his head under the hot water.

_Just let it go_, he sternly told himself.

He'd learned early on in the war it was dangerous to get attached to anything.

(Or, anyone, but you didn't heed that lesson, did you?)

He scrubbed himself clean, grateful for the well-equipped facilities of the GAR barracks.

Army-issue soap.

He inhaled the scent deeply. Soap on Ando had smelled different. And, he didn't even want to get into what had passed for soap on the Kazzie vessel.

(At least he hoped it had been soap.)

He emerged from the shower feeling like he finally _smelled_ like a clone again. He wrapped a towel around himself, (thankful for towels again,) and headed back out to his bunk. Fives and Echo were still painting, and Coric was buried deep in his medical reports. None of them looked up. Rex burrowed in his new footlocker, looking for clean clothes. He'd been issued two new bodysuits and two sets of briefs. He slid on a clean set of briefs, claimed the nearest bunk, and flopped down on top of the sheets. He closed his eyes and was asleep in seconds. It seemed like he'd only just closed his eyes when Coric was gently shaking his shoulder to wake him up again.

"Rex, your comm is buzzing," Coric said, holding the link out to him.

Rex clumsily reached for his comlink, so groggy his movements were off. "This is Rex," he said, his voice still thick from sleep.

"Captain Rex, this is Admiral Yularen."

"Sir," Rex immediately sat up so straight he could have been sitting at attention.

"Sorry to disturb your rest, Captain," said the Admiral. "I'm sending a shuttle for available senior officers at 1700 for an off-site."

"Understood, sir," Rex said. Fives and Echo were in their bunks, but had woken up at the comm call and were listening in with open curiosity. "See you at 1700 hours."

Rex checked his chrono. 1630. He had time to grab food in the mess.

"What's that all about?" Fives asked, sitting up in his bunk. His normally perfect hair was tousled slightly from sleep. He still looked tired, deep lines under his eyes, but better than he had a few hours ago.

"Not sure," Rex admitted. "Likely more planning for our deployment. I'll handle it with Appo. Go back to sleep. You still look tired." Fives didn't argue and sank back into his bunk. Echo also rolled over and headed back to sleep.

Rex rose and pulled a clean bodysuit out of his footlocker. As he quickly shimmied into it, he took a closer look at Coric. "Have you rested at all?"

The medic shook his head and tapped his datapad. "Still reviewing eval reports."

"How are they coming?" Rex asked.

"Nearly done," Coric said, "and before you ask, the Legion is looking good. We could all stand to put on some more weight, get some more training in, and sleep a few weeks straight before heading into this next battle. But," he shrugged, "not sure any of us have ever been given the luxury of heading into battle in ideal condition. We're clones. We adapt." He pulled his datapad off his belt and held it up so Rex could glance over the preliminary report.

Rex nodded with satisfaction. "Excellent." He started attaching the new plates. The armor was only subtly different from his Phase I. But, it was enough that it threw off his automatic movements ingrained in him from years of practice.

Coric helped him figure out the new attachments, particularly the ones in hard to reach places. Without his help, Rex would have burned a lot more precious time which he'd been hoping to use to grab a bite to eat.

"Thanks," Rex said, flexing his shoulders once he was fully suited up. He had to admit, the new kit _was_ comfortable.

"Join me in the mess?" Rex said, hoping Coric would say yes. He doubted the medic had taken a break to eat in a while.

Coric nodded. They walked down the long corridor past all the bunkrooms in companionable silence. Rex was greeted by many troopers, but he didn't engage any in conversation, conscious of the short amount of time before his rooftop departure.

The mess was only half full. The majority of the dinner crowd hadn't wandered in yet.

"I've ordered all our vode to eat and sleep as much as possible before we deploy," Coric said, taking his own advice to heart as he loaded up his plate with a heaping portion of nerf steak, topatoes, and vegetables.

Rex did the same, pausing to stare down into the giant serving dish of Antarian peas. He hadn't had these in months. They weren't his favorite, but they were always a GAR staple, and in a way, he'd missed them. He ladled a generous portion of them on his plate, shoving over the topatoes to make more room. Funny the things you miss when you're gone.

# # #


	42. Chapter 42 Resolute

**Rex**

**Chapter 42**

Kix and another medic from the 212th were sitting at the end of a long table. Waxer, Boil, Jesse and Denal were scattered around the benches around them. They all scooted around a bit and automatically made room for Rex and Coric, as if their vode were just assuming their rightful place.

Coric set in by his fellow medics, and their heads were almost immediately bent together deep in discussion.

Rex sighed. He'd been hoping Coric would take a break during dinner from his medic duties, but it seemed a medic's work was never done.

"I heard Echo's back," Jesse said, as Rex dug into his first bite of topatoes.

Rex swallowed and took a massive second bite before answering. He was hungrier than he'd thought. "That's right. Ran into him and Fives in the corridors a few hours ago. They're catching up on sleep now." He hoped Jesse would be satisfied with that answer. He checked his chrono. 1650. He evaluated how much food he had left to eat, and calculated how long it would take to get up to the rooftop. He still had to finish his meal, and he had two desserts to polish off. He'd been hoping to grab a cup of caf, but he'd have to skip it. But, he could still squeeze in the dessert if he ate it _first_-

Jesse spoke again, interrupting his deep thoughts.

"He's alright now?" Jesse asked. "He saved everyone back on Darkknell. We all heard about the severity of his injuries."

Rex's eyes widened. He'd forgotten to ask Coric if Echo cleared medical. He stood quickly, shooting Jesse a warning look that his dessert was off-limits, and went over to where Coric was clustered in conversation with his fellow medics.

He didn't even have to say anything. Coric spotted him approaching, and stepped away.

"What is it?" Coric asked, keeping his voice low.

"Echo, did he-"

Coric pulled his datapad off his belt, showing Rex the results. "He passed. He's stronger than he physically appears. Once the bacterium left his system, his clone metabolism took over." Coric said. "By the time we hit dirtside, assuming we have a few days, he should be back to normal." He pushed Rex back toward his table. "Eat."

Rex blew out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Coric."

The medic shrugged as if what he'd accomplished with Echo had been nothing out of the ordinary, but Rex knew better.

"I mean it, Coric," Rex repeated, "_thank you_."

Coric smiled, and flushed slightly, as if a bit overwhelmed to be thanked for performing his job. And, then he gave Rex a less than graceful shove back toward his table. "And, I mean it, go eat."

Rex glanced down quickly at his chrono. He had four minutes left to eat, if he could hightail it up to the rooftop in less than two. Rex returned to the others who automatically shuffled aside to make room for him on the bench. No one bothered him for the rest of his meal. The others chatted around him while he ate. It was a comforting sound, something he had missed during his months away. The brothers of the Andoan Legion were damned fine vode, but he'd missed the simple camaraderie of eating crammed in shoulder-to-shoulder in the mess. He shoved in the last bite and checked his chrono again. Jesse gripped the edge of his tray before Rex could clear it away. "I got this. Get to wherever you need to be."

Rex gave him a grateful nod and hurried from the mess. He sprinted up the durasteel steps to the rooftop two at a time. He had to give credit to the new armor, it did have more flex to it. There was no pinching on the back of the legs as he vaulted the stairs.

And, his knee. Such a feat would have been unthinkable even a month ago, but the replacement joint was solid. He was battle ready.

"Nice of you to join us, Rex," Appo commented as Rex skidded to a halt at the landing pad.

"Commander," Rex responded, not sure if this qualified as one of those times where it was OK to call him 'Appo', even though they were alone, so he decided to err on the side of caution.

They stood side-by-side in awkward silence, staring up at the sky. The shuttle was late.

"You get any sleep?" Appo asked, as Rex slipped on his new bucket for the first time.

The display was different. And it smelled _wrong_. Durafoam, synth padding and plastene, all much too new for the fumes to have cleared out yet. The filters started up automatically, sounding like a loud buzzing next to his ear. It was like wearing the bucket of a complete stranger.

Gah.

Rex immediately took the helmet back off again, staring at it in dismay, and then realized Appo had been speaking to him. "I'm sorry, sir. What was the question?"

"Just asking if you got any sleep," he said.

"Uh, sleep. Yes, some. Uh, thanks."

_Gah. This conversation was more painful than when he'd taken that clone-shredder round to the knee._

Appo held out a hand out for Rex's helmet. "May I?"

Rex handed over his bucket, and Appo held it up inspecting the new paint job.

He nodded approvingly, and handed it back to Rex. "The new armor takes a bit of getting used to." He tapped his Phase II bucket hanging on his belt. "The HUD is slightly different. It is a little disorienting at first."

Rex grabbed at the conversation thread. He could talk battle strategy with Appo. "Yes, we'll have to get the men to try it out in a training drill so it doesn't throw them off."

Appo nodded approvingly, "I was thinking the same."

Another awkward silence ensued.

Rex struggled to clip the new helmet to his Phase II belt. It didn't clip the same.

Appo reached over and clipped it on in one smooth move. Rex wasn't sure if he was grateful or irked by the move. He decided to let it go.

"Thanks," Rex said. "And, uh, thanks for the heads up about the new display."

Appo chuckled. "Good one, Rex." The sound caught Rex off-guard. He still wasn't used to the idea of Appo having a sense of humor.

They continued to wait for the shuttle. The seconds ticked by slowly. Too slowly.

Appo broke the silence first. "Ahsoka-, er, Commando Tano commed to say she would be late."

_Did she now?_

Rex stewed in silence noticing the first name slip. He couldn't help but think back to all of the time Appo and Ahsoka had spent together at Darkknell. He knew he shouldn't be so bothered by it, but it gnawed at him all the same.

"Eh, did she say why she was delayed, sir?" Rex asked, mainly to distract himself from the awkward silence between them.

Appo hesitated, and Rex thought at first he wasn't going to answer. Finally he said: "She is trying to locate General Skywalker."

"Ah," Rex said, "he is often on Senate business when we are on Coruscant. Keeps him away for days at a time."

"The Commander commented as much," Appo said. "The General is not responding to comm hails so she is attempting to track him down."

Rex nodded, glad he hadn't been tasked with the duty. It was always awkward being sent to 'track the General down.' When he was on Coruscant, he didn't want to be found.

They continued to wait, watching commuter traffic go by overhead. Appo shifted, stretching his neck and shoulder with a slightly pained grunt.

"New armor bothering you?" Rex asked curiously.

"No."

Rex thought he wasn't going to say anymore. But, after a moment of silence, Appo continued. "It's… from Darkknell."

Rex had read the reports, and Cody had given him a first-hand accounting of what Appo had suffered while bound and locked in a closet. Kix's medical report said Appo refused to talk about the vicious assault.

_He probably feels humiliated, _Rex realized. _Cody's entire team saw him get dragged out of there. _

Rex had comforted many a trooper after horrific battle experiences. His issues with Appo would not stop him from helping a brother in need.

"Appo," Rex started, switching to what he hoped was a conciliatory tone, "what happened was not your-"

"_Don't_," Appo hissed. He glared at Rex,"you don't know _anything_ about what I suffered."

Rex remained silent, and let the commander vent. Appo stabbed a finger into Rex's chest. "I don't know where you were for that missing time. But, _I _was locked up with the 501st. You were fekkin' AWOL and they still let you come back here." Disgust laced his words.

Outrage and guilt hit Rex all at once. He would have given anything to be with the 501st. It was his rightful place. He hadn't been given that choice. He still held his tongue.

And, he refrained from pointing out that if he'd been responsible for the Legion, they may never have _lost_ the Battle of Kaz'haria and ended up captured.

"I paid my dues as commander of this Legion," Appo leaned in, staring Rex down. "But, when I walk these corridors all I hear the men talking about is 'the hero of Darkknell.' You _left_. And, yet the men _still_ give you their loyalty."

_Again_, Rex thought, _I did not leave. I was sent away. There's a difference._

_Gah. He was all for letting a vod vent, but where was that frakkin' shuttle?_

"No one recognizes what _I _did to protect the commander," Appo continued.

_Not true. I already told him he did a fine job on that one. Or, I meant to. Fek. The past week has been such a blur._

"I'll never forget what you did for me," said a voice behind them.

Rex and Appo whipped around as one to face Ahsoka.

"You saved my life, Appo," Ahsoka came closer to the two clones and stepped between them. "First on Kaz'haria. And, then twice on Darkknell. I've already nominated you for special recognition."

_Special recognition?_

He and Cody rescued almost 12,000 men and they were thrown into the RMB.

Appo lost a battle and got those same locked up, almost starving to death. And, he gets a frakkin' medal.

Rex took a deep breath.

_I'm trying to be OK with this._

_I am not OK with this._

Appo's body language changed as Ahsoka touched him. Some of his anger visibly dissipating.

"Thank you, Commander," Appo said, "it was my honor to protect you. And, my duty."

_I want to hit him_, Rex realized. Although, in all fairness, he would be saying something similar if their roles were reversed.

He still wanted to hit him.

The arrival of the shuttle provided a welcome distraction. Rex was trying for a fresh start. Striking a superior officer would probably not be a good idea. His hands were still twitchy. He rested them lightly on his twin pistols to keep from balling them into fists, and focused on the shuttle. It was a Nu-class attack shuttle, also new, judging by the lack of battle scoring on the sides.

_The war effort is definitely well-funded these days. Who's paying for all of this?_

Admiral Yularen stepped off, accompanied by two troopers. "Sorry we're late. Gathering more intelligence. Captain, Commander. Padawan Tano."

He gestured for all of them to get onboard.

"Admiral," Rex asked, "any news of Commander Cody?"

"General Kenobi and Commander Cody will be joining us later, as well," the Admiral said, "along with General Plo Koon and Commander Wolffe."

The way the Admiral said it, so calm and matter of fact, it was as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred with Cody. It was as if he and Rex had never been locked up for disciplinary reasons-

Ah.

_Thank you, Admiral_, Rex thought. _He's giving both of us a second chance. A clean start. I won't let you down, sir._

Appo sat near the Admiral and started questioning him about a new regulation. He was once again all cool professionalism, no signs of the emotional outburst of minutes before.

_I will get along with Appo. No matter what it takes._

Rex settled in next to Ahsoka.

"You, OK?" she asked quietly. "You seem distracted."

He shook his head. "Fine," he muttered.

_Appo just vented his three months of captivity onto me, but I'm good._

Rex suddenly realized they were rising up through Corrie's atmosphere. He'd assumed they were meeting somewhere on Coruscant, at one of the many other military facilities, possibly even at Republic Intelligence.

He looked over at Ahsoka in puzzlement, but if she knew anything, her expression revealed nothing. He couldn't see much from the main crew area of the attack shuttle, so he clambered up into the cockpit to take a look out the viewport.

"Hello, Captain."

Rex grinned in recognition.

"Hawk."

"Enjoying the view, sir?" Hawk asked, and directed his attention again out the main viewport. There was a slightly teasing tone to his voice.

And, then Rex saw it. His jaw dropped.

The co-pilot, Flight, looked up at Rex and chuckled. "I think we've broken the Captain."

Rex took a step backwards, and stepped into the Admiral.

"I'm sorry, sir," he apologized abruptly, trying to shift to make room in the crowded cockpit.

"Quite alright, Captain. I came up to see how you were enjoying the view," Yularen said.

"Sir, is that…" Rex's mouth had gone dry and he gestured vaguely out the viewport.

And, there it was, the _Resolute. _The last time Rex had seen the ship it was about to fire upon them as they emerged from hyperspace upon their initial return to Coruscant.

"Take us for a lap around, would you Hawk?" the Admiral ordered.

"With pleasure, sir," responded the experienced combat pilot.

Rex stared in awe, taking in the sight of the heavy turbolaser turrets, and the point-defense cannons. They swept by the proton torpedo tubes and the tractor beam projectors, taking a graceful arc behind the ion engines before swooping around toward the main hangar bay.

"I don't understand, sir," Rex looked back at the Admiral, baffled, "Are we meeting here?"

"Yes, and then we are taking back our ship," Yularen said with firm conviction.

"But, another crew is stationed onboard," Rex said.

"Not anymore," Yularen corrected. "They've been given a new ship, _the Palpatine_, fresh from the shipyards. Higher command wanted us to take the new vessel. But, I put in a request for something a bit more… vintage."

He had no words for the emotions that were swirling through him as they landed.

Vintage.

The ship had seen many battles. And, survived. Just like Rex.

He struggled to swallow past the lump in his throat.

He was finally home.

# # #


	43. Chapter 43 Smells Like Victory Defeat

**Rex2**

**Chapter 43**

The docking bay looked exactly the same. Rex sucked in a deep lungful of recycled air. The flagship Star Destroyer even _smelled _the same. Engine grease. Carbon scoring. Cleaning chemicals. Stale coffee. Sweat.

This hangar was filled with memories of a hundred missions, good, bad and everything in-between. They'd conducted trainings in here countless times, making use of the wide-open spaces. He'd lost men in here when they'd been attacked, some sucked out into the vacuum. He sighed. He'd been planning on running a series of drills on just that scenario right before Tri-Luna. Had they lost any additional men due to this missed training?

He'd lost men in this bay coming back from battles, too wounded to even make it to medbay. Rex had been Code Red himself once, only still alive because he'd been revived by Coric. This smell. This place. Made him realize he was back. He was truly back.

Rex stood at the base of the shuttle, lost in memories before voices from behind interrupted the moment.

He glanced backwards as Ahsoka emerged from the shuttle, deep in conversation with _Appo_.

Rex moved away from the shuttle to give them some space. Somehow he'd fekked up with Appo. Maybe Ahsoka could straighten him out. She seemed to have a way with him. Rex took a deep steadying breath and told himself he was OK with it. She cared for everyone under her command. And, Appo regarded Ahsoka as-

Rex stole a quick glance back at them again. The two of them were completely absorbed in their conversation, and oblivious of his attention.

How _did_ Appo regard his Jedi commander?

Fek. Appo would have to be blind not to notice she was fekkin' beautiful. And, they were locked up together for _two_ months. Gah. What must he have been thinking about that whole time? What secrets had she revealed to him that Rex didn't know? He'd never spent that kind of time with Ahsoka? They'd had one week together in a cave on Tri-Luna, most of which time he'd been unconscious and out of his mind with pain.

_Fek. Stop it, Rex._

He told himself he wasn't going to do this anymore.

Sleeping with Ahsoka had been a huge mistake. If he thought she'd consumed his thoughts before, it was nothing like now.

"Captain-"

Admiral Yularen's voice beside him startled him and Rex inwardly cursed himself for not having been aware his superior was approaching. He immediately straightened up into a formal posture. "Sir."

"At ease, Rex," Yularen assured him. He stood beside Rex and looked about the bay. He studied the 501st Captain carefully. "You've been away a long time, Rex."

Rex cocked his head to the side, acknowledging the statement and not sure what to add. He hadn't left because he wanted to, but part of him didn't regret all of it either. He wouldn't have been reunited with Travis, or met the men of Ando if he hadn't been injured. There was a life lesson in all of that somewhere.

The Admiral took a deep breath, and Rex realized with a start he was appreciating the scent of the ship, as well. "I've missed the old girl." He shook his head. "They took me on a tour of that new ship, the Palpatine, trying to convince me to take it on." He chuckled wryly. "I can't abide by that new ship smell."

Rex took another deep breath, feeling like he could finally breath again, free of the new paint fumes and construction chaos that seemed to be everywhere in the military complex down on Corrie. "I understand, sir." He cocked his head to the side and studied the equipment neatly arranged around the bay. There were rows of Alpha-3 Nimbus starfighters, lined up next to Eta-2 _Actis_-class light interceptors. Massive walkers loomed over the bay, shadowing everything in their wake. Low Altitude Assault Transports sat quietly, but only a few were painted on the sides with familiar artwork.

Admiral Yularen followed the direction of his gaze. "We're at full inventory,"Yularen said, coming up to stand beside him. "I insisted upon it if we were going to take on the Rimma Route. " Something about the way he said it gave Rex a bad feeling. He knew the upcoming engagement was going to be difficult, but the Admiral must know much more than he was letting on.

The Admiral starting walking around the bay, and Rex followed. They walked under the shadows of the walkers and past the rows of LAATs. Rex could remember the painting of each one. It was always a special occasion as the men argued and debated over what artwork and who would paint it. They all considered themselves artists after painting their armor. Rex always let them resolve it on their own, as it was a good way for the men to learn to work together. The artwork was not always what he would have chosen, but his men worked together very well on the battlefield. Rex's methods worked. Except… few of the LAATs were familiar to him. Many looked like they just rolled off the assembly line at Kuat Drive Yards. And, several had artwork he did not recognize. It was a disconcerting feeling. Like he'd taken a wrong turn someplace all of a sudden.

"It's different equipment," the Admiral confirmed, "We lost much of the fleet at…" he glanced back at Appo, and lowered his voice discreetly, "... Kaz'haria."

Rex tensed his fists and lowered his chin. "I should have been there."

"There's nothing you could have done," his voice firm and unwavering, "you would have been captured, like the others. Or, worse, killed."

"My place was with my Legion," Rex said.

"You were exactly where you needed to be," Yularen's shoulders slumped and the Admiral seemed _older_ somehow. It was disconcerting. "I have relived that battle every night over the past three months wondering what I could have done differently. Being ordered to jump away and leave the transports behind was the most difficult order I've ever had to follow. I almost didn't-" He shook his head and stopped.

Rex stared at him, shocked. Was the Admiral about to say he almost disobeyed a direct order in the middle of a battle? Rex chose his words carefully. "If you hadn't, sir, _the Resolute _would have been destroyed and none of the men would have come home."

Yularen took a deep breath. "I've stayed up entire nights looking at the numbers, Rex. The number of men saved that day. The numbers of men we lost. If you and Cody hadn't brought our boys home, I don't think I ever would have been able to live with…" he blew out a long breath, and Rex knew then that he and his brothers were more than just _numbers _to the Admiral. He knew his General, Skywalker, cared for him and the men, as his did Ahsoka. But, fek, the 501st somehow ended up very, very fortunate with a line officer who also cared for them.

The Admiral's wrist comm beeped softly interrupting their conversation. He looked down at his wrist comm. "The Generals will be arriving momentarily." He took a deep bracing breath, as if preparing himself to get back to reality and gave Rex a small smile. "We're back into it now, aren't we, Rex?"

Not Captain, but Rex. He was referring to him as a friend now.

"Yes, sir, we are," Rex smiled and nodded to the older man.

"I'll wait here for the Generals. Go on ahead and prepare the main briefing room."

Rex nodded, and headed out into the corridor. The lights were only at 50 percent lumens, giving the ship a ghostly appearance. Even through his armor, he could feel the chill of space. Rex used his HUD to integrate with the Resolute's mainframe, relieved when his command codes still worked. He immediately brought the ship back to standard temps.

He turned his mind to the briefing ahead. Briefings were familiar and he needed to do something back in his comfort zone. He'd had enough surprises over the past week. He walked briskly around a corner, and ran (literally) into the Wolfpack. Rex was so startled he dropped to one knee and drew a blaster on Wolffe. And, was immediately taken down from behind by a half dozen other identically clad members of the Pack.

"Let him up," said Wolffe, in his low, gravelly undertones.

"Wolffe," Rex muttered, trying to regain his dignity and composure as Wolffe extended a hand and yanked him to his feet. He frowned and stared around at the sea of grey and white surrounding him. "I wasn't aware you were onboard."

"Obviously," muttered one of the troopers to his left, but Wolffe immediately silenced him with a look.

"Our General had a 'bad feeling' and asked us to do a security sweep," the battalion commander explained.

Rex felt a flare of an annoyance that he was kept out of the loop regarding a security threat on his ship. He wondered if anyone in the 501st Command Staff had been giving a heads-up re: this 'threat.' He hadn't seen Wolffe's ship either approaching or in the hangar. But, then again, they were stealth ops. "Did you find anything?"

"No," the commander gave an elegant shrug of a shoulder emblazoned with artwork of a grey wolf, "but General Plo Koon is rarely wrong." He turned to his team. Carry on. Reports every five." The Pack dispersed and vanished as quickly as they'd appeared. "Where you headed?" he asked Rex.

Rex frowned at the suddenly empty corridor, not sure he liked the Wolfpack running amuck on the ship. He let it go. "Conference room," Rex said, turning his attention back to Wolffe.

Wolffe fell into step beside Rex.

"Don't you slackers have anything better to do than stand around in corridors jawing all day?" a slightly teasing voice asked from behind them.

Rex would know that voice anywhere, even if it was identical to his own and three million others.

"Cody!" His annoyance from a moment before faded away, and Rex couldn't hold back a smile tugging the corners of his mouth as he greeted his commander.

"Fek, get a room, you two," Wolffe grumbled.

Cody snorted with amusement, which was also definitely a change from the old commander Rex used to know. He didn't used to take to take insults and slights lightly.

"Wolffe," Cody said, smacking the special ops commander so hard on the shoulder plate the sound reverberated across the abandoned corridor.

"Look who they let out of the RMB," Wolffe smirked.

"Thanks to you," Cody acknowledged, "I owe you one."

"As do I," Rex said, dipping his chin with gratitude, "thank you, Wolffe."

"Perhaps," Wolffe said, "but we'll need every available clone for this upcoming battle."

With that, it was settled and the focus was back on the engagement at the Rimma Trade Route. The three command clones fell into step together as if they'd never been apart and immediately dove deep into the best ways to deploy their forces.

# # # #

_A/N: If you're looking for a good read, I highly recommend you check out the Cody, Rex, Fives, Echo, Kix and clones adventure story by CheckSix entitled: "Trees in November." Very enjoyable story with rich details of military life._


	44. Chapter 44 Outer Rim Sieges

_A/N: I'm very excited about this chapter because it essentially kicks off the rest off Rex II. In the prequels, Anakin references "the Outer Rim sieges" as he speaks with Padme in a hushed embrace in the Jedi Temple. He talks about protecting "endless, nameless Outer Rim settlements." Later on, __Anakin and Obi Wan discuss a "report on the Outer Rim sieges." Grevious talks to Sidious about how the sieges spread Jedi forces __thinly across the Outer Rim Territories. Writing the Outer Rim sieges into the Rex II plotline will carry the story all the way forward to Order 66. We have about a year left in the story (plot-time wise.) _

**Rex**

**Chapter 44**

"The Rimma Trade Route," Yularen began, nodding to Rex, who flipped on the holochart, "one of the of the most important trade routes in the galaxy." He pointed one hand into the chart. "Starting here in the Abregado-rae in the Core Worlds and continuing on all the way to the Kathol sector in the far reaches of the Outer Rim Territories."

He handed the datapad over to Rex, who reviewed the information on it quickly. His eyes widened briefly at the contents before he cleared his throat and at a nod from Yularen, took over, reading the 'pad. It was a subtle thing, putting Rex back in charge of a briefing. But, in charge of such an esteemed audience, it spoke volumes of the Captain's position of power and influence back in the Legion once again. Rex stood up just a little bit straighter, posture perfect as he crisply delivered the information. "Traveling the full length of the Rimma Route normally takes six weeks with a Class 2 hyperdrive." He paused for effect. "We will be doing it two."

Skywalker, always fascinated with ships, leaned in with interest. "Two weeks? How is that possible?"

Rex hit a button on the datapad and the entire top of the table lit up with a schematic of a new hyperdrive design. His lips twisted up just a hint with amusement. "Our ships are getting an upgrade, sir."

Skywalker stood up and stared with unabashed fascination at the schematic, reaching a hand out as if he could actually touch the new engines and immediately start tinkering with them.

"As soon as our full crews onboard, we are headed to the Kuat Drive Yards," the Admiral announced, "it will take a week to overhaul the four ships. It will cut our travel time to the Rimma Route in half. We will use this time during the overhaul to get our forces battle ready."

"Four ships?" Cody questioned.

As if summoned by the line of questioning, the conference door opened. All eyes snapped over to the entrance. Ponds entered first. Cody's eyes widened with surprise. He was immediately followed by Jedi General Mace Windu. All the clones seated immediately snapped to attention.

"At ease, gentleman," the Jedi Master said, "apologies for being late." He grabbed two chairs from the side of the room, shoving them in between Cody and Rex, and sat down. Ponds slid into a chair next to him.

"Commander, Captain," Windu said, his voice polite and professional, as if nothing amiss had occurred on the planet, and they hadn't been locked up and nearly court-martialed.

"Sir," Rex and Cody said, in perfect unison, both carefully keeping their gazes straight ahead.

_The fek?_

Cody's thoughts were so loud that Rex winced. He hoped he was the only one who noticed. General Plo Koon coughed into his hand. Rex didn't dare glance over across the table, and instead directed his attention back down to his datapad to regain his composure. Cody immediately did the same, sliding his datapad off his belt, and burying his attention into making a detailed sketch of the new engine design.

"Commander Wolffe determined that while three forces would be adequate to pull this off," Yularen said, "four would give us a tactical advantage. General Windu graciously stepped forward. The 91st will be an essential part of this engagement for as long as it takes."

Rex glanced over at Wolffe. _Thanks for the heads up._

Wolffe somehow managed to look stoic and slightly amused at the expense of Rex and Cody at the same time, simply by tilting his head the slightest degree to the right.

Rex exhaled quietly and let it go. He owed Wolffe.

"Captain, knowing you, I'm sure you have every part of this mission memorized already," Yularen said. "Take us through a tactical summary of what we can expect on the Rimma Route."

Rex directed his attention back toward Yularen. As a Captain, he was by no means the most senior officer there. Matter of fact, with so many commanders present, he was one of the most junior officers. Ko and Nash were not even present. Rex wasn't sorry about the absence of Nash. He didn't trust himself not to pound the shab'buir into the deck as payback for what he'd done to Cody. He was fond of Ko, though. He'd fought by his side many times, and he was a fine trooper. But, it was all senior command staff in the meeting. And, Yularen was making it clear that Rex was still considered as such, despite the presence of Appo.

Rex turned to the Admiral, and gave him a subtle nod. It was to acknowledge his request, but it was also a look of respect. Deep respect.

There were certain military leaders you believed in completely based upon the strength of their character and you were willing to lay down your lives for them. Yularen was such a man.

Rex went through the planets systematically, from Abregado to Yag'Dul, covering the more notable planets and their military importance. Some of them, like Jabiim were important for their mineral resources, and others were important trading centers. Most all of them were either now aligned with the Separatists or showing signs of doing so due to concerns about the "moral decay of the Republic." According to the initial mission briefing, they had orders directly from the Chancellor to get these planets "back in line." The wording was disturbing, but Rex did not say so in his briefing. Normally, such things were handled by Jedi negotiators and it was not a military exercise. Granted, the top Jedi negotiator had been locked up for the past two months when many of these planets had "fallen." (Again, not Rex's choice of wording. Shouldn't these planets have the right to choose?) Gah. Wrong thinking for a military man. These thoughts had troubled him as he read the briefing initially, and they kept nagging at him now. But, he suppressed them, and dutifully went through the information.

Rex had memorized the information after reviewing it initially with Appo, and barely needed to consult his notes as he went through it. Much of the tactical data about these planets was already flash-trained into him, as if someone had known years ago this invasion would be necessary. It could be regarded as nothing else. Or, a siege. Yes, this could better be regarded as a siege of the Outer Rim to take back an essential trading route for the Republic. There was a bit of wording in there that made it sound as if this was being done to "preserve the Republic." But, it was forcing planets to change their mind after they'd made their choice. Rex kept pushing the traitorous thoughts down and charging through the data. He should not question orders. He could not. Good soldiers follow orders.

# # #


End file.
